Chapter 1: “Echoes in the Silence”
Chapter Text
Katsuki Bakugou stood amidst the wreckage, the wind howling through the ruins of the city. The war had been merciless. People had died. The villains had been defeated—but at a cost. Every hero had walked through hell, yet they had won. They *had* to win.
And yet, as Bakugou stood in the debris, he couldn’t shake the sinking feeling in his gut. The aftermath of battle was always like this: the silence after the storm, the crushing weight of everything left behind. But today felt different. Something was missing—something bigger than the shattered buildings and the exhausted faces of the other heroes.
He hadn’t seen Deku. Not since the final fight against Shigaraki.
Not since he’d watched his childhood friend—his rival—charge headfirst, reckless as always, into the battle that would change everything. Midoriya had always been the one with his head bowed, the one who believed in a future where everyone could be saved.
So where was he now?
Bakugou hadn’t asked. Hadn’t looked. He’d been too focused on the mission, too wrapped up in the certainty that they would win, that everyone would walk away. They always did. That’s what heroes did. It’s what they *had* to do. But something gnawed at him, something deep, a void he couldn’t fill.
He walked through the streets, ignoring the medics and the other heroes calling his name. He ignored the burning in his chest, the lump in his throat like an invisible hand was squeezing, making it hard to breathe. He didn’t care. His boots echoed through the empty streets, the once-bustling city now reduced to a ghost of what it had been. When he turned a corner, he came face-to-face with the last person he wanted to see.
**"All Might."**
The former Symbol of Peace looked smaller now, his once-imposing frame weighed down by something deeper than age. His eyes were tired, filled with grief. The two locked eyes for a moment, and Bakugou’s stomach twisted.
**"You haven’t heard,"** All Might said, his voice heavy. **"Have you?"**
**"Heard what?"** Bakugou snapped, already knowing the answer. His chest tightened, his fists clenching instinctively. He didn’t want to hear it. Didn’t want to know.
All Might couldn’t meet his gaze. He sighed, a deep, rattling sound, as if carrying the weight of the world. **"Young Midoriya… he—"** His words faltered.
Bakugou’s blood turned to ice. His breath caught, and for a moment, the world seemed to stop. He stared at All Might, but the words didn’t make sense. They *couldn’t*. Deku—*dead*? No. No, that wasn’t possible.
**"H-he didn’t—"** Bakugou’s voice cracked, the sentence dying in his throat. His chest constricted, like he was drowning. His mind raced, thoughts scattering like broken glass. The words had to be wrong. *Izuku couldn’t—he wasn’t—*
**"During the final attack,"** All Might continued, voice strained. **"He was already badly injured. Pushed himself beyond even what *he* could handle. I’m sorry, Bakugou. He…"** His words failed him again.
Bakugou’s hands trembled, and he fought to steady them. *No.* This wasn’t happening. Deku was supposed to survive. *Izuku* was supposed to be there, to lead them forward, to help rebuild. He wasn’t supposed to die. Not after everything they’d fought for.
**"No,"** Bakugou growled, voice low and dangerous, a mix of fury and disbelief. He shoved past All Might, not caring where he was going. He just needed to *move*. His mind was a hurricane, a storm of emotions he couldn’t process.
He ran.
Through the streets, past the medics and the wounded. He didn’t care about anyone else. Didn’t care about the city, the victory. The world felt like it was collapsing around him, the weight of Midoriya’s death pressing down, suffocating him from the inside.
He had to see it for himself. Had to *know*—no. He couldn’t.
But he couldn’t stop. His legs carried him without thought, until he reached the battlefield. The crater. The wreckage of the final clash
And there, lying motionless in the rubble, was Izuku’s body. The same body he’d seen charge into every fight, headfirst, filled with determination, with hope, with *life*. Now, it was still. Lifeless.
Bakugou’s heart shattered. His breath hitched, his body freezing in place. He felt All Might’s presence behind him again, the crushing reality settling in like a punch to the gut.
**"We lost Young Midoriya… I’m so sorry, Young Bakugou."**
Bakugou stumbled forward, reality slipping away. For a moment, everything was lost. The world, the war, the people he’d fought beside—all of it blurred into nothing.
He fell to his knees beside Izuku’s body, the cold truth settling in his stomach like lead. Midoriya was *dead*. The words echoed in his mind like a mantra. The person he’d always pushed away, the one who had always stood by him no matter what—was *gone*.
**"Damn it, Deku,"** Bakugou whispered, voice shaking. He reached out, fingers brushing against the torn fabric of Midoriya’s costume.
The thought that he’d never hear that stupid voice again, never see that stupid smile, never argue with him—it was too much. He’d taken too much for granted. The words he’d never said, the apologies he’d always put off, the love he’d buried so deep he hadn’t even realized it was there until it was too late.
He sat there, the silence of the battlefield crushing him, lost for the first time in his life.
When he pulled Izuku against his chest, he broke. Emerald eyes fluttered open for a brief moment, stealing his breath.
**"Kacchan… I’m sorry… I wasn’t strong enough…"**
**"Kacchan… I need to ask you something… just once… for the first and last time…"** His voice was weak, fading. **"Surpass All Might… become the number one hero… for me… I know you can do it… Promise me…"**
**"Be happy, Kacchan… No matter what… keep smiling… because I will…"**
Midoriya’s eyes closed—for the last time.
Bakugou screamed, his cries lost in the ruins of Japan. No one knew, perhaps, that these would be the last words Japan would ever hear from Katsuki Bakugou. The last sounds, the last sentences. No one would hear his voice again—no one except Izuku.
His fingers touched the cold, bloodied face. Tears burned his eyes.
**"I’m sorry…"** he whispered, voice barely audible. **"I’m sorry I never said it… I’m sorry I was so stubborn—"** He couldn’t finish. The words wouldn’t come. He was drowning in guilt, in pain, in regret. **"I’m sorry I never told you… how much you meant to me…"**
**"Please, Deku… Please don’t go."**
Bakugou stayed there, fingers gripping the torn fabric over Midoriya’s heart, as if holding on could somehow bring him back. His shoulders shook, and for once, he didn’t care who saw him break. The battlefield was silent now, as if realizing something great had been lost—but inside him, everything was screaming.
**"I was supposed to protect you…"** *If only I’d been stronger. Faster. This never would’ve happened.* **"What the hell am I supposed to do now?"**
Behind him, Class 1-A stood, their own hearts shattered by the weight of their loss.
Bakugou collapsed beside Izuku’s body, his soul writhing in agony. His hand still clutched the costume.
He passed out.
---
The day they buried Izuku Midoriya, the sky wept for Japan’s hero.
And Bakugou Katsuki hated the rain.
It was as if the whole world understood what he had lost, forcing him to endure his own personal hell—just as he had once made Izuku endure his. The city mourned in silent grief, a heavy Japanese elegy echoing through the streets, singing of Deku’s heroism, his sacrifice.
A gentle breeze carried the scent of scorched earth and wilted flowers, the remnants of a city still recovering from war. The surviving heroes stood in rows, their uniforms cleaned, their wounds hidden beneath bandages and stoic expressions. But none of them felt whole.
Bakugou stood apart from the crowd, hands in his pockets, head bowed under the shadow of his hood—hiding eyes ravaged by tears and sleepless nights. He wasn’t wearing his hero costume today—just plain black. Wearing something flashy felt wrong. Izuku wouldn’t have cared what he wore. To him, Kacchan would always be Kacchan, no matter what.
All Might spoke at the front, his voice steady despite the weight in his words. He spoke of legacy, of courage, of the light Midoriya had brought to everyone around him. And as the casket was lowered—draped in green and gold—Bakugou didn’t hear a word. All he could hear was the echo of Midoriya’s laughter. The way he’d shout his name like he truly believed Bakugou was someone worth chasing.
When it was time to approach the grave, others left flowers—roses, lilies, symbols of purity and mourning.
Bakugou brought nothing.
He knelt beside the headstone, uncaring of the cold earth against his knees. Slowly, he pulled something from his pocket—a broken, bloodstained All Might trading card. The same one Midoriya had as a kid, the one Bakugou had been too guilty to throw away. The one he’d held onto after surviving death. Except… he hadn’t really survived, had he? He was still drowning in it, sinking deeper every day.
He placed it gently beside the stone.
**"...I should’ve said it sooner,"** he murmured, voice rough. **"I should’ve told you… that you were the most important person to me."**
He clenched his jaw so hard it hurt. A single tear fell from his left eye, landing on the All Might card. Then he stood, giving the grave one last look.
**"I’ll make you proud, Deku. I’ll fulfill your last wish. Somehow."**
And without waiting for comfort, without expecting anyone to follow, Bakugou turned and walked away—silent, heavy, but with unwavering steps.
---
**Eight Years Later**
The nights were the worst.
When the world fell silent and the adrenaline faded, when there were no villains to fight or missions to complete—just memories and stillness—Bakugou found himself drowning. His apartment, though cluttered, felt too big, too empty. Every shadow looked like a ghost, every flicker of movement a trick of the mind, and every time he closed his eyes, he saw green.
That stupid mop of hair. Those stupid round eyes. That infuriating, endless optimism.
Midoriya haunted him—not in some dramatic, supernatural way, but in the ache of the empty space beside him. In the way he’d turn to make a snarky comment, only to remember there was no one there to answer with a gentle smile. The air itself felt heavier.
He’d stopped watching the news. Couldn’t stand hearing Deku called a symbol, a legend. It all felt too clean, too polished. They hadn’t known him like Bakugou had. Not the boy who cried at injured birds, who muttered for hours, who carried more on his shoulders than anyone realized.
They didn’t know how *human* he’d been.
In the quiet moments, Bakugou allowed himself to remember the things he’d never said. How much he’d learned from Midoriya—what it really meant to be a hero, a friend, to *love*. He wasn’t the same person he’d been before the war. It had cost him everything, and yet, in some way, Midoriya had given him a second chance.
The pain never fully faded, and maybe it never would. But as Bakugou continued to rise in the hero world, carving his own path, one thought remained, steady in the back of his mind. He had finally reached his goal—surpassing All Might, becoming the number one hero, just as Midoriya had asked.
Some nights, he found himself standing before the mirror. His reflection was hard to recognize. The anger that had once driven him was still there, but softened now, tempered by something more dangerous: vulnerability. The kind that came from knowing you’d lost something irreplaceable, but having to move forward anyway.
**"I don’t have to say it, do I?"** he murmured one rainy night, kneeling battered and bruised before the statue erected in memory of **"Hero Midoriya Izuku."** **"You already know."**
But there was no answer. Just the quiet hum of the city.
If Izuku had been here—if he could see Bakugou now, standing as the number one hero—he would’ve been proud.
And so, Bakugou would keep living for him. Every step he took, every battle he fought, would be another step toward the world they’d always dreamed of. One where people didn’t have to die for nothing. One where Midoriya’s sacrifice meant something. A world of victory and safety.
And every morning, when he turned his face toward the rising sun, the same quiet promise settled in his chest:
**"I’ll make sure you’re remembered, Deku. For both of us."**
And maybe—just maybe—that would be enough.
Even if it would never *truly* be enough.
**"There’s one more thing I need to tell you,"** he whispered, voice breaking.
**"I tried to push you away because I was afraid. Afraid of the love of that kid who kept chasing after me. How was I supposed to keep you at a distance? What words could I have used? I didn’t know, so in the end, I hurt you. I broke you. I shattered your heart. Every day, I had to watch you grow stronger while I realized how weak I was. How was I supposed to tell you what I felt? Would silence have been enough for you to understand?"**
**"Now I’m lost in eternity, trapped here. The harder I struggle, the deeper I sink. I don’t want to say goodbye to you. What kind of curse is this? Or is it some kind of spell? Tell me—what future is left for me in this damned city? What future is left for *us*?"**
The tears he shed were cold, freezing as they fell.
**"Do you know what it’s like to give you up to protect you? You were so fragile, so small—I was terrified. You just wanted to be a hero, even though you had no power of your own. I was so afraid of losing you that I tried to make you give up. I tried to stop you. But I didn’t know how, so I hurt you instead."**
**"I ruined everything. We lost everything. *I* lost everything."**
**"I won’t say goodbye. Even if you’re gone, you’ll live inside me forever
Chapter 2: Broken stars and Lost souls
Chapter Text
This will always be the case—there will be a future that never changes. You and me, me and you... No matter how far apart we drift, our souls, our lives, will intersect in some way. In every universe, in every life we live, it will always be you and me against the world. But we will never be together. I know this. I know because our joined hands are doomed to part. Now, all I need is a little time—a second, a minute, a day, a month, maybe even a year. Tell me, how will I endure this pain? Tell me, Izuku, what does it feel like to lose something you never truly had? What kind of void is this? What kind of curse? I can win against everything, against everyone—but why have I always lost to you? Why do I keep challenging you, knowing I’ll lose, only to be defeated by your smile every time?
I’m tired. I can’t even remember your voice. What wouldn’t I give to hear you call me "Kacchan" one more time? Tell me. Just once more—this time, I won’t yell. I won’t break your heart. Just... please come back. Please, let me hear my name from your lips one last time.
No one understands me like you did. Their eyes are always foreign, meaningless. When I speak, it’s like their souls are locked away—no one understands my pain, my sorrow. They just tell me, "You have to forget. You have to move on." They say, "It’s been eight years." They don’t know that eight years were ripped from my soul. It’s like they tore out my heart, stole my breath. Even when Shigaraki struck me in battle, even then, it never hurt this much.
I’m not asking them to understand my pain. I’m not asking them to feel it. I was trash. Selfish. Because of my damned pride and ego, I couldn’t see that you were the most precious thing to me. So tell me—is this God’s punishment, Izuku? For everything I did to you, is this my sentence? To live without you?
I can’t forgive you. I can’t forgive myself. I want to forgive...
I’m not perfect—I admit that. But I didn’t deserve this either. To stand in the ruins of a city, in front of a memorial built for you, forcing myself to look at the sky so my tears won’t fall. Tonight, the stars seemed to drift peacefully. I always thought about how I’d never lose you. But now... I can’t take it anymore. I’m just torturing myself. You were never mine to begin with. We weren’t made for each other. These hearts weren’t meant to beat as one—they only clash harder.
We said our goodbyes with words, and because of you, I died a hundred times inside.
It’s cold. The rain pours like shattered glass, and you know how much I hate the rain. Every time I looked at you, I realized how incomplete I was. I always knew I’d be whole with you. Maybe that’s why I was so reckless. And now, you’ll become the saddest part of me—the piece I’ll never have.
But then again... you were never mine to begin with, were you, my Izuku? I never let you in. If I had, would things have been different? Would you have stayed with me? I don’t know.
My feelings for you were like a song I didn’t know, stuck in my head on repeat. I couldn’t explain it if someone asked. But it kept playing, over and over, like footsteps approaching from behind.
Katsuki swallowed hard. A gentle hand touched his shoulder. Tired eyes met the gaze of a man with crimson eyes just like his own. Behind him, his friends’ gazes were filled with grief—the pain of loss. A bitter smile formed on his lips. His mother must have sent them to find him.
His voice was sealed. He tried to rise from where he’d collapsed but couldn’t. The panicked shouts of Kirishima and the others rang in his ears. Before he passed out in Kirishima’s arms, he whispered, so softly even he could barely hear it:
"Tell me, Izuku... will I ever get to stand by your side again?"
---
Kirishima barely caught him before he hit the ground. The wetness on his hands made his breath hitch. The weight in his arms was unbearable—time was slipping away. Every step crushed the remnants of hope beneath his feet. Blood dripped from his friend’s body onto his lap, burning him from the inside.
"Don’t you dare leave... Hold on," he muttered, voice trembling.
(Internal thoughts): *"Your body feels so light, but this weight... it’s crushing me. Your breath is so weak now. I was supposed to protect you. Didn’t you remember? We were supposed to fight side by side. Hold on, damn it... please. I have to be strong now. Because you can’t be. I can’t lose faith in you. I won’t let you go. No matter what, I’ll save you."*
Mina was a shell of her usual energetic self. She clutched her face, drowning in tears. Everything had happened too fast—too much blood, too much pain. Sero grabbed her arm before she collapsed.
"Mina, pull yourself together! We need you right now!" he shouted.
(Internal thoughts): *"She’s crying... I’ve never seen Mina shake like this. This isn’t us. We don’t fall apart like this. Who am I kidding? We never recovered after Izuku’s death. But this blood, this fear... I don’t know what to do. But at least we can hold onto each other. If one of us falls, the other pulls them up. Right now, I’m holding Mina because I’m about to fall too. But when I look into Kirishima’s eyes... there’s still hope. We can still fight. Katsuki’s still alive. It’s not too late—not like it was with Izuku."*
Mina (internal thoughts): *"What have I done? Why didn’t I notice? Katsuki’s been fading right in front of us. I should’ve realized sooner. I haven’t felt this helpless since... since Izuku’s death. My vision’s blurry. I can’t stand. But... Sero’s hand is on my shoulder. He’s not letting go. I’m scared. What if we’re too late? What if... it’s already over? No, no! I can’t break now. We have to be strong. For him. For all of us."*
Denki fumbled with the car keys, fingers shaking.
(Internal thoughts): *"Why are my hands trembling? It’s just a key, just a door... but it feels like my hands aren’t mine. God, please. Just give us a little more time. Start the damn car and get us to the hospital! This shouldn’t be so hard. I’m terrified, but I have to move. Run, Denki, damn it! Do something right for once! If we stop now, we lose again. That’s why we’re in this mess—because we were too slow last time."*
Kirishima lifted Katsuki’s limp body, straining with every ounce of strength. His shirt was soaked in blood.
"Just a little longer... just hold on," he pleaded, voice breaking.
The car screeched to a halt at the hospital entrance. Kirishima burst out, Katsuki in his arms. His skin was pale, lips blue.
"Stay with me, brother... we’re almost there," Kirishima whispered, clutching him tighter, as if letting go would shatter everything.
The emergency doors didn’t open fast enough. Kirishima’s voice was raw when he finally roared:
"OPEN THE DAMN DOORS! HE’S DYING!"
When the staff rushed out, Kirishima refused to let go.
"No! You—you might be too late. I won’t give him to you!"
A doctor stepped forward, urgency in his eyes. "Alright. We’ll take him together."
Kirishima finally relented, lowering Katsuki onto the gurney. His last words were a whisper:
"Bakugou... please... don’t go."
---
The waiting room was suffocating.
Kirishima sat against the wall, hands stained with blood.
(Internal thoughts): *"He slipped through my fingers back then too..."*
He remembered Izuku’s lifeless body. The war wasn’t over. The breath never came. Something was always missing.
Now, the same void. The same helplessness.
When his phone buzzed—"Mitsuki Bakugou Calling"—his blood ran cold.
"Kirishima! Where’s Katsuki? Where’s my son?!" Her voice was a mother’s raw terror.
"I... I found him," was all he could say.
"WHERE?!"
"...In front of Deku’s statue."
A scream tore through the phone.
"NO! LIE TO ME, KIRISHIMA! I’VE ALREADY BURIED ONE CHILD! I CAN’T BURY ANOTHER!"
Mina crumpled. "Not again..."
Denki stood frozen, tears streaming silently.
Sero punched the wall. "I can’t stand at another grave... We already put Izuku in the ground. Are we really going to bury Katsuki too?"
---
The hallway was cold.
But inside, the flames of the past burned them alive.
Behind those doors wasn’t just Bakugou—it was every loss they’d never faced, every grief left unfinished.
And until those doors opened... none of them could breathe again.
Chapter 3: Ashes of a Star: Katsuki’s Requiem"**
Chapter Text
Kirishima sat on the icy marble floors of the hospital, yet the fire in his heart continued to burn as if it would never be extinguished.
The phone was still in his hand.
Mitsuki’s voice was no longer a scream—it was a whisper.
Once again, it was the voice of a broken mother from the same place:
*"Please… tell me Kirishima is alive, tell me Katsuki isn’t dead…"*
Kirishima could only murmur one word:
*"Alive."*
But that word was shattered.
It wasn’t spoken with faith—but with fear.
Not with prayers.
And that night, the hearts of a mother and four young men were buried together.
Because sometimes, living wasn’t about breathing.
Sometimes, it was about being dead even while you breathed.
---
*"Hello, Kirishima?!"*
Mitsuki’s voice was a muffled, panicked scream.
Her heart was pounding out of her chest, and the phone screen in her hand seemed to tremble.
Kirishima’s ragged breathing on the other end was stifled.
He tried to swallow, but no words came out.
*"Say something! Where’s my son, Kirishima? Which damn hospital are you in?!"*
Kirishima’s voice cracked.
It was as if a thousand needles were lodged in his throat, every word torture.
*"Mitsuki-san... I—"*
*"Goddammit, Kirishima, now’s not the time to shut up! Tell me! WHICH HOSPITAL?!"*
But she never got her answer.
Because at that moment, Kirishima’s phone cut off.
All that remained on the other end was a sudden static hum—and then that terrible silence.
And then…
The news spreading across Japan caused complete chaos—a collective collapse.
> **"BREAKING NEWS…"**
> *"Ground Zero, Japan’s No. 1 Hero Bakugo Katsuki, has been critically injured and hospitalized."*
> *"Reporters at the scene confirm the hero is unconscious."*
The voice from the television…
Pierced Mitsuki’s pupils.
She felt her knees give way.
In that moment, she didn’t cry.
In that moment, it was as if all the blood had been drained from her veins.
*"How…?"* She couldn’t even form the question.
Masaru froze the second he saw the screen.
Trembling, he walked toward the TV.
A mother and father…
Faced losing their son for the second time. They had already buried one son.
But this time, even the grave was unprepared.
---
**ACROSS JAPAN—CLASS 1-A**
**Todoroki Shoto**
He had just finished his patrol, catching villains as usual, and was taking a lunch break at his usual cold soba shop. After finishing his meal, he picked up a glass cup and was about to leave when the news ringing in his ears rooted him to the spot.
*"The National Heroes Association has announced Ground Zero’s condition is critical."*
*"Japan’s No. 1 Hero is currently in life-threatening danger."*
The cup slipped from his hand, shattering on the ground. The sound of breaking glass scattered everywhere. The steam from the cup dissolved into the TV’s broadcast:
> *"Bakugo Katsuki is severely injured… His life is at risk."*
His eyes widened.
The two poles within his heart clashed at once.
One side froze.
The other burst into flames.
He whispered:
*"When Izuku left… he stood tall."*
*"Now, if he falls… none of us will be able to stand at all."*
He ignored the pitying stares from the people in the shop. His trembling gaze was locked on the broadcast. His veins had turned to ice.
*"What did I become strong for?"*
*"Izuku left. Now Katsuki is leaving too."*
*"What am I even protecting?"*
He didn’t care about the TV still droning in the background.
A question arose in everyone’s minds: *Was this the collapse of hero society?*
The whispers of the people around him echoed in his ears. The only thing Todoroki Shoto focused on was the name of the hospital where Bakugo Katsuki had been taken. He bolted out of the shop, ignoring the voices behind him.
*Was this Ground Zero’s end… just like All Might’s fall during the Kamino Incident?*
---
**Uraraka Ochako**
She was at the hero agency when the news reached her. She collapsed to the ground. The reports blaring from the TV in her room felt like the truth being hurled in her face, shaking her entire body. Ochako watched the broadcast, then fell to her knees and began to sob.
She slammed her palms against the floor.
*"Are we losing someone again?! One by one… are we just falling apart?!"*
*"Deku… tell me. Why are we being torn apart? What sin are we paying for? We’re heroes—and yet we couldn’t save you! We couldn’t save Himiko Toga! Sir Nighteye died in my arms, and I couldn’t do anything! Now… is it Bakugo’s turn?!"*
---
**Tenya Iida**
He was preparing for a volunteer speech when the announcement blared from the waiting room TV: *"Bakugo Katsuki has been hospitalized—condition critical."* His gaze trembled.
He gripped the edge of the table, searching for something to hold onto—something to give him strength.
Iida took off his glasses and threw them to the ground.
Silently, he dropped to his knees and bowed his head. A bitter smile twisted his lips as he muttered:
*"I was the class president."*
*"But I don’t have a class anymore."*
*"Once again… we couldn’t protect our classmates."*
*"After Izuku… now it’s Katsuki’s turn?"*
The lump in his throat choked his entire mechanism to a halt.
---
**Jirou Kyouka**
She was in the studio.
The moment she took off her headphones, she turned to the screen. *"Ground Zero hospitalized."* Could a single sentence really have this much impact on a person?
The music she played with soundwaves was gone.
Now, there was only a heartbeat…
And her own tears.
*"This isn’t news… this is a trauma replay."*
Jirou ripped the strings from her guitar.
Not out of anger—but helplessness.
*"Why is this burden on us? Why did we lose Izuku first, and now Katsuki?! Why are we being torn apart one by one?!"*
---
**Yaoyorozu Momo**
She was preparing for an emergency meeting.
But when she saw the broadcast, the files slipped from her hands. She tried to gather the scattered documents despite her trembling fingers. Tears streamed down her face as the old class photo flashed in her mind.
Izuku waving, Katsuki turning away—but still there.
Now, one voice had been lost to eternity.
And the other was fighting not to disappear the same way.
---
**U.A. TEACHERS’ LOUNGE**
Aizawa Shouta (Eraser Head) was reviewing reports.
The TV’s noise never usually distracted him.
But this time—
> *"Bakugo Katsuki has been hospitalized. His condition is life-threatening."*
His eyelids trembled at what he heard. The pen in his hand clattered to the floor.
He turned his head.
His gaze locked onto the screen—his student, standing tall after battle, smiling in an old photo, just like Izuku’s victory poses.
*"I… can’t make my kids go through this again."*
He stood up.
But he couldn’t move.
Because in his mind, he saw Class 1-A’s photo.
And every year, one more face was missing from it.
*"Enough."*
*"Enough."*
Aizawa Shota thought: *I can’t carry another child’s coffin.*
*"Not again…"*
---
**BACK TO THE HOSPITAL**
The hospital walls…
Were not white, but gray.
Like everyone waiting inside, they were trapped in a silence between life and death.
The ER doors slid open like a metallic lament.
Mitsuki stormed in like a hurricane.
Masaru was behind her, but his steps were slower—because his eyes weren’t on his wife’s shoulders, but on the body of a mother about to break.
Mitsuki screamed:
*"Where’s my son?! Where’s Bakugo Katsuki?!"*
She slammed her fist on the desk. Her veins bulged.
In that moment, it wasn’t just her motherhood cracking—but her entire past.
Kirishima had buried his face in his arms, curled up like a child hiding from his mother.
It was as if blood was still dripping from those hands.
Once again, he thought—*I was too late.*
Once again, he couldn’t protect him.
A shadow fell over him.
Not footsteps—but the echo of someone kneeling.
His eyes slowly lifted to Mitsuki.
The first syllable that left his throat was *"Sor—"*
But the word couldn’t be finished.
Kirishima couldn’t hold back.
*"I carried him out of there… but he was losing too much blood… too fast…"*
His voice cracked, his vision blurred.
*"He passed out… but he was smiling. He was looking at a statue… Izuku’s statue."*
Mitsuki closed her eyes.
Not as a mother—but as a woman facing death for the second time, stripped bare by grief.
She shook her head slowly.
*"I brought that boy into this world… covered in blood and sweat."*
*"When he took his first punch to the back, he looked at me and said, ‘Didn’t hurt.’"*
*"But now…"*
Her voice fractured.
*"Now, no one can say ‘it doesn’t hurt.’ Because all of us… are in pain."*
Kirishima broke down in tears.
*"I can’t take this anymore, Mitsuki-san."*
*"When Izuku left… the color drained from everything."*
*"But Katsuki… Katsuki was our last remaining star."*
*"If he burns out too… we’ll be left in the dark."*
*"Nothing will be left."*
Masaru took a step back.
That statue…
The silent monument his son had built for the child they’d lost…
Izuku’s ghost was still there.
And now, Katsuki was walking toward it.
Mitsuki’s eyes welled up.
But these tears didn’t come from her eyes—they came from the depths of her heart.
*"I thought… I’d already buried one child."*
*"But this time—this time, death came without even digging a grave."*
Then she bent down.
She grabbed Kirishima’s hands.
She wasn’t forgiving him—she was trying to forgive the weight those hands carried.
*"You didn’t bring him back to me, did you?"*
*"You brought him back… the way he was."*
Kirishima couldn’t hold back his tears anymore.
*"I’m sorry…"* he said.
*"I couldn’t protect him again."*
Denki was crouched in a corner, hands clutching his head.
His lips trembled.
*"I don’t want to hear another ambulance siren…"*
*"I don’t want to see blood again…"*
*"I can’t stand in another graveyard, okay?! OKAY?!"*
Sero was trying to stay on his feet—like a child learning to walk again.
His knees shook with every step, but instead of leaning on someone, he slammed himself against the wall.
*"He was the loudest of us all…"*
*"And now, we can’t even scream."*
Mitsuki stood up.
Her eyes were red, but her gaze was steady.
It was the defiance of a warrior facing her greatest loss.
But her voice was shattered.
*"I buried one child."*
*"And this time…"*
*"This time, I’m not just afraid of losing my son…"*
*"I’m afraid of losing the reason all of you kept living."*
---
Then…
Footsteps echoed through the hospital doors.
Quiet but heavy.
As if the air itself had changed.
Todoroki Shoto was the first to arrive.
His eyes went straight to Kirishima, then Mitsuki, then the closed door.
He clenched his fists.
His ice-cold fingers gripped his forehead.
*"Why am I still here…? Why are we always too late…?"*
*"And why do they always leave first?"*
Uraraka came next.
She didn’t say a word.
Her eyes were wet, but she wasn’t crying.
Because some cries don’t come from the eyes—they come from the spine.
And hers was bent.
Iida entered without his glasses.
His face was hollow.
All he muttered was:
*"They weren’t just my classmates…"*
*"They were my brothers."*
Jirou leaned silently against the wall.
The only sound in her ears was her own heartbeat.
And that heart… was trembling like a broken rhythm.
*"We can’t even hold a concert anymore."*
*"The stage is silent."*
*"So are we."*
Yaoyorozu stepped forward without wiping her tears.
Her eyes were full, but her gaze was clear.
She was the only one still trying to hold herself together.
But inside, her voice was tearing apart:
*"You left us this legacy, didn’t you?"*
*"Losing each other… has become a habit for us now."*
The whole class was there.
But Midoriya wasn’t.
And now, if Katsuki disappeared too…
Only ghosts would remain.
In that moment, everyone saw the same thing in each other’s eyes:
*"If we lose one more…"*
*"None of us will be able to stand."*
The doctors were still working in the operating room.
Katsuki’s heart was still beating.
But for everyone waiting outside, that heartbeat was just hope—and hope sometimes hurt the most.
---
After tense, grueling hours, the operation lights finally turned off.
In the waiting room, Mitsuki Bakugou—her dirty blonde hair disheveled, eyes red—trembled beside her husband Masaru, who held her hand tightly.
When the doors opened, everyone jumped to their feet.
The doctor’s mask hung loosely, his forehead damp with sweat—but the relief in his eyes said everything:
*"We did it. He’s out of danger."*
Mitsuki collapsed to her knees. Masaru held her as he himself shook.
Behind them, the class’s silence broke into sobs, relieved gasps, and raw crying.
---
**A WHILE LATER**
The room was silent.
Aside from the steady *beep* of the monitors, everything felt frozen.
Until—
A twitch of fingers.
Katsuki’s eyes slowly opened.
The ceiling was blurry at first.
Then it cleared.
In that moment, he realized one thing:
The silence… it was the same.
Just like the graveyard.
His chest rose and fell rapidly.
The monitor sped up.
*"Where… am I?"* he whispered.
His voice was cracked. His throat was dry, but his eyes burned.
Then he noticed—
an emptiness.
His left side.
That void had always been there… but now it was colder.
And in that moment…
everything came back.
The statue.
The blood.
Izuku’s face.
The screams.
The silence of the funeral eight years ago.
*"IZUKU!!"*
Katsuki jerked upright.
Tearing out all the wires, sending the monitors into chaos, he sat up in bed.
Nurses rushed in, but nothing could stop that scream.
*"DEKU!! DEKU!!"*
He beat his chest as he screamed.
As if his breath had been stolen from him.
*"I’M STILL CHASING AFTER YOU, CAN YOU HEAR ME?!"*
Mitsuki appeared in the doorway.
She ran inside.
*"Katsuki!"*
For the first time in eight years, Mitsuki Bakugou heard her son’s voice again…
Katsuki’s eyes turned to his mother.
Like a child…
without even trying to be strong.
His face was drenched.
His chin trembled.
*"Mom…"* he said.
*"Please…"*
Slowly, he raised his hands—
just like he used to as a kid when he fell.
The bandages hanging from his shoulder, the IVs in his chest…
everything was broken, messy, helpless.
And his voice…
was quieter than a whisper,
heavier than a scream:
*"Mom… please…"*
*"Bring Izuku back…"*
His trembling hands reached out, gripping Mitsuki’s shirt.
*"He always listened to you…"*
*"If you say it…"*
*"He ran when I called… but when he saw you, he smiled…"*
*"PLEASE, MOM—"*
*"I NEVER EVEN GOT TO SAY ‘I’M SORRY’ TO HIM!"*
Mitsuki wasn’t crying anymore.
Because even tears weren’t enough.
But she wrapped her arms around her son’s shoulders.
*"Katsuki…"* she said simply.
*"He already forgave you."*
Katsuki buried his face in his mother’s chest.
But he kept talking—
because he had been silent for years.
For eight years, he hadn’t said a word, and now…
he was pouring his entire life into a single scream.
*"I owe him everything."*
*"I’m alive… because of him."*
*"He left before me… because he always ran ahead."*
*"But I’m still chasing him until I run out of breath."*
*"And this time… I couldn’t catch up…"*
*"I NEVER ASKED YOU FOR ANYTHING!"*
*"FOR YEARS, I SUFFERED IN SILENCE!"*
*"NOW…"*
*"NOW I’M ASKING FOR ONE THING, MOM!"*
He was shaking.
He fell to his knees.
His eyes were open, but he saw nothing.
*"I…"*
*"I was always so cruel to him…"*
*"But these past few years…"*
*"I stayed silent."*
*"Because…"*
*"Because I couldn’t think of anything good to say."*
*"Now, everything I want to say…"*
*"Is too late."*
*"Mom…"*
*"I never got to tell him! I never confessed!"*
*"BRING HIM BACK…"*
*"PLEASE…"*
*"JUST BRING HIM BACK."*
*"I DON’T CARE HOW."*
*"I DON’T CARE IF IT’S A LIE."*
*"LIE TO ME."*
*"JUST F*CKING LIE TO ME, OKAY?!"*
*"JUST TELL ME HE’S COMING BACK!"*
Mitsuki knelt.
She wrapped her arms around her son’s trembling body.
And as she stroked his hair,
for the first time, a mother’s tears carried the grief of two.
*"I can’t bring him back to you…"*
*"I’m so sorry, Katsuki… I’m so sorry."*
Katsuki buried his face in his mother’s chest.
And he cried.
He cried so hard that…
the sound filled the room,
cracked the walls,
shattered the past.
This wasn’t just crying.
It was a confession, an oath, an apology, and a farewell—all at once.
*"I was too late, Mom…"*
*"I was always too late for him."*
*"But now…"*
*"His silence is screaming inside me."*
Mitsuki cupped her son’s face.
*"You’re still his legacy."*
*"If you live… he lives on too."*
But in that moment, everyone realized:
Katsuki wasn’t living.
He was just… surviving.
And surviving…
hurt even more than dying.
When the doctors came in,
Kirishima was still frozen in the doorway.
Another drop fell on Izuku’s grave that moment:
Katsuki’s ruin.
Then…
a sharp prick in his arm.
A sedative.
Katsuki tried to resist.
But he had no strength left.
His eyelids grew heavy.
And his voice whispered one last time:
*"Give him…"*
*"back to me…"*
And his eyes closed.
But this time, the silence…
wasn’t relief.
It was a tombstone crushing the room.
---
When he slowly opened his eyes again,
there was no darkness this time.
No war, no void.
Just…
a golden light.
Like the broken rays of a summer morning.
Quiet, warm, almost peaceful.
At first, Katsuki didn’t understand where he was.
But then he saw it.
Green.
Izuku.
Under a tree.
His back turned.
But this time…
he was holding a flower in his hands.
White.
Delicate.
As if he was holding his breath so it wouldn’t wilt.
Katsuki’s throat locked.
He couldn’t take a step.
Because he felt that if he took one more step, this dream would end.
But he looked at that flower.
It was like a grave flower.
About to slip through Izuku’s fingers.
*"Deku…"*
*"Please… turn around already. Haven’t I suffered enough? Haven’t I atoned enough for what I did to you?"*
Izuku’s back was still turned.
But this time…
he slowly bowed his head.
His shoulders trembled.
And a whisper came with the wind:
*"Can you forgive yourself?"*
*"Can you keep carrying this weight, Kacchan?"*
Katsuki’s knees gave out.
His eyes burned.
*"I HAVEN’T BREATHED A SINGLE DAY SINCE YOU LEFT!"*
*"I NEVER FORGOT YOU, DEKU!"*
Izuku slowly turned around.
This time…
he saw his face.
But…
his eyes weren’t as beautiful as before.
They were empty.
The gleaming emeralds had faded, dull.
*"You’re still screaming."*
*"But no one ever heard you except me."*
Katsuki cried.
For the first time…
he truly cried like a child.
*"I loved you…"*
*"I didn’t know what it was back then."*
*"But I always…"*
*"Because you looked at me like no one else did…"*
*"I wanted to live with you."*
Izuku’s shadow stepped closer.
He reached out, his palms toward Katsuki’s hands.
But just before they touched…
his hands crumbled.
Turned to ash.
The wind carried them away.
*"Wake up, Kacchan."*
*"The fight isn’t over."*
*"Even if I’m not by your side anymore…"*
*"I’m still watching you."*
And the world shattered with a scream.
**"The Price of Silence: Katsuki Faces the Class"**
The room still smelled of antiseptic.
The sedative’s effects had worn off, but Katsuki’s eyes were still damp, his voice still broken. He lifted his head.
His eyes were awake, but he still looked asleep.
Restless. Angry. Exhausted. But most of all… bleeding.
Tenya. Ochako. Momo. Shoto. Jirou. Mina. Denki. Sero. Tsuyu. Kirishima… Aizawa.
They were all there.
And they were all wrecked.
But to Katsuki, none of it meant anything anymore.
*"Eight years ago…"*
*"We buried him."*
*"I saw you. You cried."*
*"You broke."*
*"But then you moved on."*
*"I couldn’t."*
*"Because… to me, he wasn’t ‘a hero.’"*
*"He was my everything."*
When his lips trembled, Mina couldn’t take it anymore.
*"Katsuki… We never wanted to leave you alone. We—"*
*"I stayed silent because I knew you wouldn’t understand."*
*"All of you…"*
*"Thought my screams were anger."*
*"Thought my silence was pride."*
*"My tears… you never even saw them."*
Katsuki took a deep breath.
His voice was cracked, ragged, but it had to spill out:
*"I loved Izuku."*
*"I was in love with him."*
*"But I was scared."*
*"Because…"*
*"In your eyes, I could only ever be his friend."*
Ochako bowed her head, silent tears falling.
She had always carried guilt inside—now she heard it given a name.
Todoroki didn’t look away this time.
But for the first time, his pupils held helplessness.
*"All those years you stayed silent…"*
*"We never heard your voice, Katsuki,"* Momo said through tears.
*"But now…"*
*"I hear that scream."*
*"I know it’s too late, but… I wish… I wish I’d realized sooner."*
Katsuki shook his head slightly.
No tears fell from his eyes, but his heart was speaking through his mouth now.
*"From the day you first met me… you assigned me a role."*
*"Aggressive. Arrogant. Explosive."*
*"But none of that was me."*
*"I was just… a kid trying to survive."*
*"And that kid…"*
*"is so tired now."*
Silence fell.
Only Aizawa’s choked-back sobs remained.
In the corner of the room… Kirishima was still bowed, shattered in silence.
*"What do you see when you look at me now?"*
*"The No. 1 Hero?"*
*"Victory?"*
*"I never wanted to be a hero without Izuku."*
*"I…"*
*"wanted to live with Izuku."*
Chapter 4: **"A Graveyard of Unfinished Words
Summary:
After Izuku's death, Katsuki is shattered—but the true pain lies in the silent scream of all the words left unspoken. Trapped between dreams and reality, he follows a trail of mysterious clues left in the graveyard, each one drawing him closer to the buried truths of the past: *"Death is not always the end; to be forgotten is eternal."* While his classmates search for him, Katsuki finally reaches a ruined structure—where Izuku's notebook reveals a secret that changes everything: **"I never left. You just stopped listening."**
Chapter Text
**Jirou whispered in a choked voice:**
> *“Why… why didn’t you say anything, Katsuki…?”*
Katsuki turned his head toward them, his pupils dry but burning inside.
> *“Because you weren’t listening.”*
> *“I didn’t know how to be loved, yeah.
But you never showed me how, either.
You were everyone’s friend.
Everyone’s hero.
But you were never mine.”*
Shouto pressed a hand to his chest—for the first time.
Not just half of it…
He realized, in that moment, it had all been scorched.
> *“Remember how I didn’t say a word at that coffin?”*
> *“Because if I had spoken,
I would’ve screamed.”*
> *“But you mistook it for ‘strength.’”*
> *“No.
That was a funeral.
And I was the last thing buried inside that coffin.”*
Silence fell again.
But this time…
the silence itself was weeping.
> *“I never asked you for anything.
But now…
for the first time…
I fell into my mother’s arms
and begged, ‘Bring Izuku back.’”*
> *“Do you know what that means?
It means I’ve been alone in this life
for so long that I forgot how to want anything.”*
> *“They say heroes save people.
But no one saved me.”*
He looked at his classmates, one by one.
Every one of them had their face turned to the ground.
None dared to meet his eyes.
Because for the first time, they were seeing Katsuki—*truly* seeing him.
> *“You think I’m blaming you, don’t you?”*
> *“No. I’m not blaming you.”*
> *“It’s just…
Every time I was in trouble, ‘Deku’ came running.
Every time I was about to give up, ‘Izuku’ looked me in the eye.”*
> *“None of you ever looked at me like that.”*
> *“Except Izuku.”*
Katsuki raised his gaze again.
As if seeing them for the last time, he turned to each of his classmates.
> *“And now I’ve lost him.”*
---
### **Hospital Room – The Edge of Awakening**
In the hospital room, Katsuki lay alone between pale walls, beads of sweat gathering on his forehead. The sedative’s effect was fading, and the tremors returned to his body. As his eyelids drooped, a dark void pulled him under.
Katsuki knew immediately he was dreaming—but this wasn’t an ordinary dream. Everything… felt too real.
Wet stones beneath his feet. A slope descending, yet gravity itself felt heavy, his soul crushed beneath it.
The sky… not black, but covered in ash.
And with every step, the burnt remnants of old hero posters crunched underfoot.
*“Why am I here?”* he asked himself.
But the answer came with the wind:
*“Because you still haven’t cried.”*
Then, a whisper—
*“Because you still don’t understand.”*
A train station loomed ahead. But the clocks weren’t working.
A single word on the sign:
**“𝙴𝙽𝙳”**
Beneath it, a note:
*“The one who gives life does not leave.
The one who does not leave is counted among the dead.”*
And there… on the bench, a silhouette.
Izuku.
But this time, his face was turned toward Katsuki.
No stars in his eyes, no hope—just deep sorrow and… a secret.
*“Tell me, Kacchan,”* he said softly.
*“Which one of us is really dead?”*
Katsuki froze.
He couldn’t speak.
Only kept walking.
But the more steps he took, the farther Izuku became.
The bench melted.
The distance between them grew with every pause.
*“Izuku, wait—!”*
Izuku turned this time.
And opened his palm.
Inside it—a burnt clock.
The hour and minute hands intertwined.
Izuku’s voice trembled:
*“What did you say to me… the last time you saw me?”*
Katsuki couldn’t answer.
He couldn’t remember.
He tried to swallow, but his throat was dry.
Words tangled in his throat like a scream silenced for eight years.
*“If you’ve forgotten,”* Izuku said, *“you have no right to call me back.”*
At that moment, Izuku’s back turned into a gravestone.
But no name was carved.
Only these words:
*"The one who seeks must first find themselves.*
*Remember the fire.*
*Remember the silently screamed cry.*
*To understand who did not die,*
*first see who never truly lived."*
Katsuki reached out.
But the moment he touched it, Izuku turned to ash.
The gravestone toppled.
Only a burnt notebook remained.
When he opened it, the words read:
*"Kacchan… I’ll always wait for you.
But if you truly want to see me,
you must first open your own heart.
I wasn’t the only one gone that day…
You were the one who stayed silent."*
---
### **Awakening – The Point of No Return**
Katsuki woke with a scream.
But this time, it was silent.
His eyes stared into emptiness.
The sedative no longer held him.
His eyes… burned.
Something inside him was detonating.
This wasn’t a dream…
Izuku was trying to tell him something.
He whispered:
*"Which one of us is really dead..."*
And then, slowly, he stood.
Tore off all his bandages.
The hallway was empty.
He wasn’t running away.
He was searching.
---
### **Night – The Journey to the Grave**
*"The Voice Beneath the Silence"*
The hospital was dim.
The corridors stretched long and hollow.
The shadows… whispered.
Katsuki walked silently.
Still in hospital clothes.
Bandages undone, hair disheveled.
His eyes… awake not from sleep, but from loss.
The guards at the door didn’t notice.
They didn’t stop him.
As if he had never been there.
Outside, the air was cold.
But the fire inside kept him alive.
This time, he wasn’t running.
This time, he was searching.
The train station from his dream, the ashen sky,
Izuku’s words:
> *"The one who seeks must first find themselves."*
Every step was not toward the grave, but toward the truth.
The graveyard was empty.
Wind crushed the leaves underfoot.
Owls watched silently in the distance.
When Katsuki’s knees hit the stone, a sigh was heard.
But not from him…
from beneath the stone.
Izuku’s gravestone stood before him.
> *Midoriya Izuku*
*“A hero who lived for everyone but himself…”*
But something… was missing.
The grave’s surface wasn’t moss-covered as it should’ve been.
The earth was fresh.
And…
beside the stone—a small, black notebook.
Dusted.
Katsuki hesitated, then picked it up.
Opened it.
Between the pages, familiar handwriting:
> *"Kacchan,*
*Time does not belong to me, but I left a mark.*
*Remember this moment:*
*‘The day I told you I was fine, my eyes were crying.*
*One person saw.*
*But they didn’t speak.’*
*Now you ask:*
*Who stayed silent? Who sent me away? Who hid the truth?"*
Katsuki’s breath caught.
His fingers trembled on the pages.
This wasn’t a note.
This was a sign.
A summons.
And maybe… a doubt.
Was Izuku really here?
Could this really be possible…?
---
### **A New Clue – Beneath the Stone**
Katsuki reached under the gravestone.
The stone was loose.
Beneath it—an envelope.
Inside, a photograph.
Izuku, wounded after the battle.
But the date…
was days after the funeral.
This couldn’t be.
This… broke the timeline.
On the back, a note:
> *"Death is not always real.
But to be forgotten… is eternal."*
---
### **Epilogue: The Whisper**
A voice passed through the wind.
A familiar whisper.
*“Kacchan…”*
Katsuki turned his head.
No one was there.
But his ears… had heard his own heartbeat for the first time.
This wasn’t the end.
This was the beginning.
---
### **Graveyard Investigation – "Beneath the Shadows"**
Katsuki closed the notebook again.
His eyes scanned the gravestone’s surroundings.
There…
had to be something else.
Izuku’s words still echoed in his mind:
> *“I wasn’t the only one gone that day…
You were the one who stayed silent.”*
He stood up.
His hands still shook.
But in his fingers wasn’t fear—
it was the fire of a single question burning in his mind:
*"If Izuku is really dead… why do I still feel him whispering to me?"*
---
### **Symbol 1: The Scratch Beneath the Stone**
Katsuki inspected the gravestone again.
This time, he noticed a small scratch on its edge.
Like… a letter.
No.
A symbol.
A spiral.
The same circular arrow Izuku used to draw in his notebooks as a kid.
It pointed—not toward the earth behind it,
but toward the old grove beyond the graveyard.
### **Symbol 2: "Fog"**
Katsuki walked slowly in that direction.
His heart pounded against his ribs.
The moonlight was thin, but a hazy mist lingered—
like in the dreams.
Everything…
felt surreal.
Among the trees, he found an old bench.
Rusted.
And carved into it, a faded inscription:
> *"If the mist blinds you, see with your heart."*
Beneath it, just one more word:
> *“Fog”*
But this word… echoed in Katsuki’s mind.
It reminded him of something.
---
### **Flashback: An Old Memory**
When they were kids, walking home from school one day.
Izuku loved the rain.
Katsuki always complained.
And that day, Izuku had said:
> *“You know, Kacchan… do you know the scariest thing about fog?”*
*“Not being able to see?”*
*“No. It’s thinking you’re alone.”*
### **Symbol 3: Another Note**
Hidden under the bench—a second piece of paper.
But this time… damp.
The writing nearly faded.
Katsuki carefully unfolded it.
Only a few words were legible:
> *“Kacchan...*
*If… you’ve found this…*
*I’m still here.*
*…but time—*
*…was silenced—*
*…not forgotten…*
*…misremembered…*
*Remember the fire.*
*…Find ‘the step hidden in the mist.’”*
---
### **Katsuki’s Inner Monologue:**
> *“This isn’t a game.
This isn’t a grave.
This is a map left for me.”*
> *“Are you trying to drive me insane, Deku…
Or are you really here,
but unable to reach me any other way?”*
> *“They buried you in the ground,
but you’re still digging into my heart…”*
> *“I still don’t know what to believe.
But I feel you.”*
### **Finale: A Silhouette in the Mist**
Just as he turned to leave…
Katsuki saw, in the mist—for just a moment,
a figure standing before him.
His height, his posture, his hands—
Izuku.
But when he took a step forward…
the mist dispersed.
No one was there.
And on the ground—a footprint.
Fresh.
---
### **⚫ Chapter: "Who Returns?"**
Katsuki wandered the graveyard for hours. The sky had long darkened, but the fog inside him was deeper. He looked at the burnt notebook in his hands one last time. A page, slightly loosened with the grave’s soil, opened:
> *"Time does not always speak—sometimes it only stays silent.
But even silence leaves a mark.
If you seek me… I am where the echo lingers."*
*"Where the echo lingers"*—what did that mean?
Katsuki lifted his head. The wind howled against the gravestones. Something… whispered. Without thinking, he moved. His feet dragged him forward as a headache pulsed. Was the dream… returning?
His vision darkened. But this time, he wasn’t asleep.
### **⚫ Dream: "The Hand Behind the Mirror"**
An empty classroom. Every desk broken, every window shattered. Cables hung from the ceiling, their shadows stretching like symbols on the floor.
Katsuki walked forward. A sentence was written on the board in chalk:
> *Kacchan… If you want to find me, you must first lose yourself.*
At the edge of the board—a mirror frame. But in the reflection… it wasn’t him. It was Izuku. His face was blank. His lips moved, but no sound came.
Then, slowly, he reached out. From inside the mirror.
And a word was carved into the glass:
*"Sanctuary"*
Katsuki took a step. He thought he might pass through the mirror.
But at that moment, inside the mirror—instead of Izuku, his younger self appeared. In his school uniform, knees scraped. Crying. Hands clutching his head.
*“Hiding?”* Katsuki murmured.
*“Or… forgetting?”*
---
### **⚫ Awakening: An Echo in the Silence**
When Katsuki opened his eyes, he was still in the graveyard. But strangely… the notebook he’d dropped had another page open. On it, handwriting unmistakably Izuku’s:
> *“Where I’m hidden was once a graveyard of hopes.
Here, everything fell silent.
But you can still bring back your voice.”*
Beneath it—a drawing:
— A round structure. Next to it, a ruined tower.
— Above the door, a faded sequence of letters.
— And in the bottom corner…
…two people. Looking at each other, but their hands not touching.
### **⚫ DREAM — "Where Time Shatters"**
Underfoot weren’t stones, but shards of glass this time.
With every step, Katsuki felt like he was crushing echoes of the past.
A school hallway… but the walls looked aged. Moss-covered. Every window blackened.
Even the moonlight filtering through the cracks was hazy.
A door ahead… a plaque:
*"3-A — The Classroom of Lost Time"*
Katsuki pushed the door open.
Someone was writing on the board.
Small shoulders… green hair…
But this wasn’t Izuku.
A child.
Like a smaller version of *himself*.
The child turned.
But it had no face.
Its face was a mirror.
Katsuki saw himself in the reflection—but behind him stood Izuku.
Yet when he turned around… no one was there.
The classroom darkened.
The ceiling collapsed.
Time cracked.
A voice:
*“Kacchan. If you’re looking for me, come to the last place you heard me.”*
Another voice:
*“But don’t speak. Or the truth will find you.”*
A third voice:
*“The truth kills.”*
Katsuki covered his ears, but the voices were inside him now.
Suddenly, everything fell silent.
A train arrived. The classroom was now a station.
The doors opened.
Inside, only a notebook on a seat.
He opened it. On the page:
> *I’m here, Kacchan. But everyone called this place my grave.
Will your voice fall silent now too? Or will you find me?*
The bottom of the page was charred:
— Three circles
— A star
— And beneath it, a word:
*"Sanctuary"*
*"The wrong door hides the right time."*
### **⚫ WAKING – "Real? Who Knows?"**
Katsuki woke on a hillside overlooking ruins.
Was this place real?
The graveyard was still visible in the distance, but he didn’t remember coming here.
He was under a tree. In his palm—a new page from the burnt notebook:
*"Everyone who forgot me will silence you. Don’t speak. Hide."*
Katsuki stood.
And then—footsteps behind him.
*“Katsuki!”*
Todoroki’s voice.
Followed by Iida’s frantic breath.
Mina, Kirishima, Momo, Denki… all there.
Panic, fear, tears on their faces.
But Katsuki didn’t speak.
He only turned his head, dark circles under his eyes, lips cracked.
*“I’m fine,”* he said shortly.
But his voice… wasn’t his own. Hoarse, broken, like an old recording.
Kirishima ran to him.
*“Dude, where have you been?! We’ve been searching everywhere!”*
Katsuki knelt.
Buried the notebook lightly in the dirt beside him.
No one noticed.
But Todoroki saw his hand trembling.
*“What are you looking for here?”* he asked quietly.
Katsuki’s answer was just one sentence:
*“Sometimes the truth hides in the wrong place.”*
Then he started walking.
Those left behind… exchanged glances.
But no one understood.
None of them chased after him as Katsuki’s silhouette vanished into the distance...
### **⚫ Chapter: "Ruins Are Not Just Stone"**
Katsuki opened his eyes that morning in silence.
He wasn’t in the graveyard, but in an old grove overlooking a rocky slope.
But in his chest—a burning.
As if a voice was still calling him.
Izuku’s voice… but this time, not with words. With direction.
His left eyelid twitched as he looked down.
Between the stones, carved symbols:
— A spiral
— Three dots side by side
— And beneath them, a repeating word:
> *“Door.”*
He closed his eyes. Remembered the voice from the dream:
> *"Knock three times, but don’t wait for an answer."*
He lifted his head.
Behind the trees, shrouded in darkness—a structure.
A half-collapsed… ruin.
But not like an old warehouse.
Its walls were stained ash-gray, windows boarded up, as if built to be forgotten.
As Katsuki approached… his heartbeat quickened.
For the first time in years… he felt afraid.
But he didn’t turn back.
When he reached the door, he raised his hand.
**KNOCKED THREE TIMES.**
No answer came.
But he felt he could enter anyway.
He pushed the door.
And…
---
### **⚫ Meanwhile – Class 1-A, In the Grove**
Todoroki clenched the tracking device in his hand.
*“The signal cuts off here. He must be close…”*
Iida stepped forward. *“Bakugou! If you’re here, please… answer! Everyone’s worried!”*
But the only reply… was the scattering of birds.
Mina covered her mouth—she’d seen a mark on the ground.
Footprints.
And… a few pages of the buried notebook.
Momo lightly touched the paper.
But the writing was burnt beyond recognition.
Only one line was legible:
> *“Knock three times…”*
Denki: *“What does that mean? Is this some kind of… game?”*
Kirishima silently crouched.
Ran his fingers over the spiral symbol carved into the stone.
Katsuki’s fingerprints… were still warm.
*“He was here,”* he said.
*“And he found something. But he won’t tell us.”*
### **⚫ Inside the Ruin – "The Hidden Truth"**
Katsuki stepped inside.
The wooden floor groaned.
Dust covered everything, but… something felt off.
It was scentless.
Even the wind seemed afraid to enter.
On the wall, a note:
> *"A closed heart imprisons voices."*
*"I will find you where you fell silent."*
And in the corner…
Inside a broken display case—an old, green notebook.
One of Izuku’s.
When Katsuki touched it… his eyes welled up.
But he made no sound.
At that moment, water dripped from the ceiling.
He looked up—there, scorched into the wood, was a map.
A labyrinth.
And at its center—an X.
Beside it, the words:
> *"Where we were silenced forever."*
Katsuki clenched his fist.
These voices, these clues… were calling to him.
But he still didn’t speak.
He wouldn’t share this with anyone.
Because this was no longer *their* fight—
it was his alone.
### **⚫ Outside, Class 1-A**
At the edge of the grove, a structure came into view.
Mina: *“Is that… a building?”*
Todoroki stopped Kirishima.
*“Be careful. If Bakugou’s inside… he might not trust us anymore.”*
Kirishima bowed his head.
*“Why did he shut us out…?”*
Todoroki narrowed his eyes.
*“He’s not just protecting himself…
He’s protecting the truth.
But if we don’t learn what it is… we might lose him.”*
### **⚫ Final Scene – At the Heart of the Ruin**
At the end of a tunnel… he collapsed.
The notebook in his hands.
His lips moved.
But this time, like in the dream, he whispered:
> *“Izuku… if you’re still out there somewhere…
just give me one sign.”*
At that moment…
The notebook’s page turned on its own.
A new message:
> *"I never left, Kacchan.
But you’re still drowning out my voice."*
*"When you finally scream… you’ll hear me."*
Katsuki closed his eyes.
And inside him, a scream rose.
But it didn’t escape.
Because the truth could only be heard
in the darkest depths of the dream.
Chapter 5: Tracing Lost Time
Chapter Text
### **Class 1-A’s Approach**
They had gathered in the woods.
Todoroki took a deep breath and locked eyes with everyone.
*"I know… Bakugou is trapped in his own world, wrestling with his pain. But… leaving him alone would be like killing him."*
Iida hesitated before speaking.
*"We’re his classmates. Not his family. But… if this is how we share his pain, then it’s our responsibility."*
Mina nodded slightly, her eyes glistening.
*"We want to protect him. But at the same time… we have to understand his burden."*
Jirou muttered under her breath.
*"His silence can’t break us anymore. We have to find a way out."*
### **Encounter in the Ruins**
When Katsuki stepped inside, the voices of his classmates echoed from the far end of the corridor.
*"Katsuki,"* Uraraka called out, her voice shaky but firm.
*"Please! You’re not alone!"*
But Katsuki’s eyes were cold.
*"I’m the one carrying this weight. Don’t drag yourselves into it,"* he snapped.
*"You don’t understand."*
Todoroki stepped forward, stopping in front of Katsuki.
*"Maybe we have to understand,"* he said quietly.
*"Your silence is a secret to us, but it’s also your helplessness."*
Katsuki lifted his gaze from the ground.
*"My silence breaks you. But your noise will kill me."*
Kirishima stepped forward.
*"Katsuki… we’ve always been with you. But you have to trust us. For Izuku’s sake, too..."*
Todoroki closed his eyes, wrestling with his own conscience.
*"Did I ever truly understand his pain? Or was I just running from myself?"*
Momo whispered to herself.
*"Leading isn’t just giving orders. To protect him, we have to understand him."*
Uraraka’s heart ached.
*"Why don’t we listen to him? Why do we always try to cover our own fears with his pain?"*
Denki bit his lip.
*"Bakugou’s silence is our last warning. We have to listen now."*
Katsuki spoke slowly, his voice heavy.
*"Izuku… that day… I was the one who stayed silent.
And the more I stayed quiet, the further he slipped away.
I didn’t just stay silent—I lost.
But no one heard me. No one understood.
Now you have to listen.
But this… won’t be easy for you."*
At that moment, the lights in the corridor flickered. The symbols on the walls glowed faintly.
---
### **Silence and Shattering**
The class froze.
The silence they had hardened themselves against for years had finally cracked in that corridor.
And within each of them, they felt a small fracture.
Perhaps those cracks were the beginning of healing.
---
### **Chapter: "On the Edge of Solitude"**
In the dim light of the ruins, shadows danced along the walls. The floor was decayed, the walls covered in moss—but his steps were certain. Katsuki didn’t stop. Even when he heard the footsteps of his classmates behind him, he didn’t turn back.
After exactly three steps, he spoke without looking back.
*"What’s beyond here isn’t for you."*
Uraraka took a step forward. *"What does that mean? Katsuki, we just want to help—"*
*"No."* His voice was firm, yet fractured.
*"I’ve been warned in dreams. This place is only for me."*
Todoroki frowned. *"Riddles… What are they trying to say? Do you really have to be alone?"*
Katsuki finally turned. His eyes were darkened, but something else burned within them—not exhaustion, but a desperate kind of faith.
*"Izuku… is calling me. But only me.
This path… is for a solitary heart, a solitary burden.
I was the first to lose him.
And if there’s still any hope…
I have to be the first to find him."*
Kirishima nearly lunged forward but stopped. The Katsuki in front of him wasn’t the angry, stubborn boy he once knew.
These eyes… belonged to someone who had forgotten how to even pray at a graveside.
Jirou whispered:
*"He really… wants to go alone."*
Iida silently stepped back.
*"You can’t force someone out of the labyrinth of their own guilt."*
---
### **Katsuki’s Path**
Katsuki turned away. In his hand, he clutched the burned notebook from his dream.
The symbols on the walls guided him:
🜂 — Fire.
🜄 — Water.
🜁 — Air.
🜃 — Earth.
And in the center, a faded word:
*"𝙀𝙇𝙀𝙈𝙀𝙉𝙏𝙐𝙈"*
He murmured to himself:
*"Four elements… four lacks.
But the fifth… was it love? Sacrifice? Or guilt?"*
The path narrowed. At the end of the tunnel, a voice echoed.
*"You won’t find yourself until you find me, Kacchan..."*
Katsuki flinched.
Slowly, he walked into the darkness.
Tears no longer fell from his eyes—only something like ash.
With each step, the writing on the walls grew clearer.
One final sentence appeared before him:
> *"He who seeks must first find himself."*
And beneath it, something new had appeared—
As if it had only materialized for his eyes:
> *"Share this with no one. Or the secret you find will abandon you."*
---
### **As the Class Disperses in Silence**
Todoroki closed his eyes.
*"Katsuki, by the time we began to understand you… you were already gone."*
Sero tried to hide his tears.
*"This is your fight. But if you come back… we’ll be here."*
Kirishima clenched his fists but didn’t step forward.
*"I always felt like your brother. But brotherhood… sometimes means stepping back."*
And so, Class 1-A… quietly dispersed outside the ruins.
---
### **Scene: "The Card’s Return"**
When Katsuki touched the crack in the dark wall, his palm grew damp. The smell of mold, rust, moss…
But something else lingered beneath it.
Familiar.
The one memory that hadn’t burned away.
Slowly, he pulled something from the crack.
Dust-covered, yet its colors hadn’t faded.
An All Might trading card.
Izuku’s All Might card.
But this card… had been inside the grave.
Katsuki had placed it there himself.
During the funeral, when everyone turned away to weep…
He had pressed it into the earth with his fingertips.
*"This can’t be…"* he whispered.
*"How—? This shouldn’t be here."*
His fingers trembled as he turned the card over.
The back… had been blank before.
Now, words were scratched into it, as if with a pencil:
> *"Kacchan... if you can still fight, then I’m not lost yet.
But remember—a fight isn’t just won with fists."*
And beneath it:
🕯️
The symbol was a candle.
The same one he’d seen in his dreams, carved into the edge of a gravestone.
In Izuku’s whispers, one word always repeated:
> *"What did you say the last time you saw me?"*
Katsuki stepped back.
His heart felt like it was shattering his ribs.
*"Are you mocking me?! I buried this card… with you!"*
His voice echoed. But no one answered.
Or maybe…
A whisper came from behind the cracked wall.
A door slid open.
A map unfolded in his mind.
More symbols.
🜄 🜁 🜂 🜃
And in the center… an eye: 👁️
---
### **Katsuki’s Eyes Open to the Truth**
*"This… isn’t a coincidence. This—this is a map."*
He pressed the card to his chest.
It was warm… as if Izuku’s hands had just touched it.
A farewell never spoken… words never said… a kiss never given.
The card was no longer just an object.
It was a sign.
Izuku was guiding him.
---
### **DREAM: "Everything You Hid Away"**
The night had long since rotted away.
Katsuki walked with heavy steps, as if climbing out of a grave.
Time itself felt frozen.
And then…
Dawn broke.
But this morning was different.
It was a forgotten street from their childhood—the dusty stone path they used to walk every day to school, backpacks slung over their shoulders.
The same tilted electric pole.
A rusted swing swayed in the park.
And then…
Izuku was there.
His back was turned.
Kneeling on the ground, rummaging through his bag.
Katsuki moved forward without a word.
But something inside him wanted to scream:
*"STOP. DON’T GO. THIS ISN’T JUST A MEMORY. I CAN SEE YOU!"*
Yet with each step… childhood voices returned.
*"Look! Look at the card I found, Kacchan!"*
Little Izuku turned, beaming.
In his hands was a brand-new, shining All Might card.
He was so excited his hands shook.
*"Someone dropped it! But no one noticed!
I’m lucky, right?! Look—Look at it!"*
Katsuki watched his younger self—he remembered this moment, but it felt distorted.
Little Katsuki turned away and snarled:
*"Idiot! So what?!
Even if you have the card, All Might won’t save you!"*
Izuku’s smile flickered for a second before brightening again.
But that first wound… had been struck.
Now, the adult Izuku in the dream approached little Izuku.
Holding the card alongside him, he looked up—
His eyes now locked onto Katsuki’s.
*"Do you remember, Kacchan… the last time you saw this card?"*
Katsuki shuddered.
He nodded, but no words came.
He swallowed, but his voice was gone.
Izuku took a step forward.
Now, his adult self stood right in front of him.
*"When you buried me… you put the card in.
You stayed silent.
Like you always did for years."*
His eyes twisted with pain.
*"But I always heard you, Katsuki."*
*"I wasn’t angry.
But… I waited."*
*"I waited…
For you to really call for me,
To really love me…
To really forgive—yourself."*
He held out the card again.
But this time…
It was burning.
Turning to ash without flames.
*"This card,"* Izuku said,
*"was never just a hero’s memento.
It was the only thing tying us together.
The things we couldn’t say, couldn’t touch, were always afraid of."*
Now, tears fell freely.
*"When I left, you buried the card.
But the riddle started there.
Did you think it ended when you buried it, Kacchan…?"*
The flames began to fade.
Darkness swallowed the world around them.
*"The question still remains:
Were you the one who loved but couldn’t say it…
Or the one who said it but couldn’t make it real?"*
Katsuki wanted to scream:
*"I DID TELL YOU!"*
But no sound came.
Izuku’s face appeared one last time.
So close now.
*"One last question:
Why did you take the card back?"*
---
### **AWAKENING**
Katsuki jolted awake, drenched in sweat.
His hand flew to his forehead—
Where All Might had touched him burned hot.
His fists clenched.
His eyes immediately darted to his bag.
And there…
The All Might card.
Not bloody.
But… damp.
The card from his dream… was now in his hand.
Was it real?
A dream?
Was he finally losing his mind?
Or was a path finally opening?
But this time, there was another note.
On the back of the card…
> *"The voice of the silent echoes underground.
Return to where the fire fell.
But go alone.
Or else he won’t hear you."*
Katsuki had made his decision.
He wouldn’t tell Class 1-A.
He would go alone—back to where he had fallen in battle.
Whatever awaited him there, he would descend into the deepest parts of his dreams, memories, and heart to find Izuku.
---
### **Chapter: "Where the Fire Fell"**
Katsuki set out in the dead of night.
He told no one.
His clothes still smelled of antiseptic.
In his hands, he carried only:
- The All Might card from his dream,
- And the note he still couldn’t fully believe:
*"Return to where the fire fell."*
The words echoed in his soul, quickening his steps.
His heart threatened to burst.
But not from fear—
From an unexpected hope.
He knew.
Something was waiting there.
---
### **The Silence of the Ruins**
This place… was unrecognizable now.
What were once towering buildings had crumbled into skeletal remains.
Traces of the past still lingered—
Explosions.
Blood.
Loss.
As Katsuki walked, the sound of his own heartbeat drowned out everything else.
But then… he stopped.
Something glinted at his feet.
He bent down.
A chain.
Thin, nearly rusted through.
At the end, something dangled.
A page from Izuku’s notebooks.
But it was completely burned.
Only one word remained:
*"𝓥𝓮𝓻𝓼𝓽𝓮𝓬𝓴𝓮𝓷"*
German.
*"Hidden."*
Katsuki’s hands shook.
His lips formed the words:
*"Hidden…? Were you here…?"*
At that moment, a fragment of ash drifted down from the sky.
But this wasn’t ordinary.
Words were woven into the ash.
One landed on his shoulder.
And the writing appeared:
> *"The scream you didn’t hear brought you here.
Now, whose voice are you silencing?"*
Katsuki’s head spun.
A burning sensation, thin as ash, seared his insides.
Then… he remembered something.
💥 **FLASHBACK — The Day of the Battle**
That day.
Right before Izuku arrived.
Shigaraki had struck him in the heart.
Not literally, perhaps, but…
Something inside him had been torn away.
As he lay on the ground, he had pulled out that All Might card.
To press against the pain…
To not forget…
To make it seem like he was still alive when Izuku found him.
But now, he remembered something else.
When Izuku found him, he had grabbed his hands, crying:
> *"Stop hiding yourself, Kacchan…
Please, just stop hiding…"*
And then…
the light had vanished.
Katsuki fell to his knees.
He began digging into the earth with his hands.
*"There’s something here,"* he muttered.
*"There has to be."*
### **The New Riddle**
As he tore through the dirt, he found a metal box beneath.
Rusted.
But carved into it was a symbol:
∞
Infinity.
And beneath it, familiar handwriting:
> *"Time only passes for those who forget.
For those who remember, it never moved."*
Katsuki’s eyes welled up.
His entire body trembled.
But when he opened the box…
Inside was a notebook and an All Might figurine.
The figurine’s arms were missing.
On the notebook’s cover, it read:
> *"Kacchan — If you’re still searching,
then I’m still here."*
---
Katsuki tilted his head back toward the sky.
This time, he didn’t cry.
But inside…
he was shattered.
*"How did I lose you, huh…?
How… did I stay silent and let you go?"*
And then, a whisper.
Carried on the wind.
*"If you were silent, then now… listen."*
---
### **Chapter: "The Silence Inside the Clock"**
After examining the notebook, Katsuki dug a little deeper.
A click…
A metallic sound.
And there it was:
An old, silver pocket watch.
At first glance, it seemed ordinary.
But when he opened it… time had stopped inside.
The hour and minute hands were frozen at 4:17, overlapping.
The real strangeness was inside the cover.
Because engraved there was:
> *"If time has stopped, so has the soul."*
*"If you seek the trail…
...you must find him before the countdown begins."*
> ✳️ *"Search where the flame fell but left no ash.
There, you will hear a heartbeat.
But do not let others hear the sound—
Or the echo will swallow you whole."*
Katsuki’s pupils dilated.
A heartbeat…?
Was something—
Alive?
Was that even possible?
But the All Might card, the notebook, and now this watch…
None of it was coincidence.
Just then…
a small clatter reached his ears.
A stone rolled.
A footstep.
Katsuki swiftly took the watch and notebook, stuffing them into his bag.
Without looking back, he melted into the shadows of the ruins.
But he had heard.
Someone was following him.
Maybe Todoroki, maybe Kirishima.
Maybe someone else.
But it didn’t matter.
He had to be alone on this journey.
> *"The echo…
If someone else hears it… it’ll swallow me whole."*
He could only trust his own footsteps.
No one else felt what he did.
No one else had died enough…
to hear Izuku’s heartbeat.
---
### **A Voice Lost to the Night**
The wind carried his whisper:
*"Izuku…
If you’re really alive…
why did I bury my heart with you?"*
His eyes weren’t wet.
He had no tears left.
But his chest ached.
The watch still read 4:17.
But a voice inside it whispered:
> *"Time’s running out, Katsuki.
Someone will silence him before you do."*
Chapter 6: 4:17 - The Unforgotten Hour"**
Chapter Text
Dream: 4:17**
At first, Katsuki didn’t understand where he was in the dream.
Everything was gray.
The air… covered in dust.
But then he realized:
It was *that* day.
The final battlefield of the War of National Heroes.
The sky looked torn apart.
Shattered buildings, collapsed towers…
And silence.
Katsuki crawled on the ground with his hands.
He was losing blood.
Something in his heart had cracked—not physically, but as if time itself had broken it.
When he fell face-first, he was clutching an All Might trading card.
Holding it tightly.
It was dirty.
But he wouldn’t let go.
Izuku would come.
*"He promised… He wouldn’t leave me alone…"* he murmured.
But just before his eyes closed—
An explosion.
A scream.
And the sound of Izuku’s footsteps.
He came.
Izuku came.
But…
---
🕰️ **TV Screen – The Hour of Death**
Suddenly, the dream shifted.
He was in front of a television screen.
A news anchor was crying on the screen.
Their voice trembled.
> *"Today, at exactly 4:17 PM…*
> *Pro Hero Deku lost his life on the battlefield."*
> *"He sustained fatal injuries in his clash with Shigaraki Tomura…*
> *Ground Zero found his body in the ashes."*
In the background of the screen, there was a clock.
A massive digital clock.
**4:17**
**4:17**
**4:17**
Minutes passed, but the screen still showed the same time.
The entire country was frozen in that moment.
But in the corner of the screen—a detail:
Someone kneeling alone in front of All Might’s statue.
Katsuki…
Yet the Katsuki in the dream was screaming:
> *"LIES! YOU’RE LYING!*
> *HE’S NOT DEAD!*
> *I HEARD HIS HEARTBEAT!"*
But no one heard him.
The anchor kept speaking:
> *"Izuku Midoriya died at 4:17 PM.*
> *And with him… the hope of an era."*
⏱️ **The Dream Begins to Crack**
Katsuki was suddenly back on the ground.
Crawling through the ashes.
His eyes searched for something.
Then, something slowly fell in front of him:
The All Might card.
Again.
But this time…
There was something written on it in Izuku’s handwriting:
> *"Kacchan, I didn’t die at 4:17.*
> *You buried me before that hour."*
Katsuki froze.
At that moment, the clock began ticking again.
*Tick.*
*Tick.*
*Tick.*
**4:18.**
Time had started moving again.
---
**Awakening**
Katsuki jolted awake in bed. He could no longer tell reality from illusion.
Drenched in sweat, gasping for air, the young man pressed his hands to his face.
His eyes searched for the clock.
**4:17**
But… not midnight.
Afternoon.
Visiting hours were minutes away.
Footsteps echoed in the hallway.
But none of it mattered to him anymore.
He thought to himself:
> *"I killed him before that hour.*
> *Because I didn’t understand him.*
> *Because…*
> *I never spoke."*
⚫ **Scene: Loud Silence**
Hero Agency Hallway – Afternoon.
As Katsuki tried to reach the back exit on the second floor, Todoroki stepped in his path.
His back was turned, but his voice was clear:
> *"Where are you going, Ground Zero?"*
There was something in his tone.
An unspoken accusation.
Katsuki didn’t answer.
He just kept walking.
Todoroki turned.
His half-scarred face stared at him.
> *"You know something.*
> *And you’re not telling us."*
Katsuki stopped.
His jaw clenched.
> *"I don’t know,"* he said. But his eyes flickered away.
> *"I just… have to go."*
Just then, Kirishima arrived.
His face was exhausted, eyes red.
But he wasn’t angry—just broken.
> *"Katsuki… man…*
> *Please.*
> *Don’t shut us out again after all these years."*
Katsuki took a deep breath.
> *"I’m not shutting you out.*
> *I’m looking for myself."*
Todoroki stepped forward.
This time, his voice was sharper:
> *"No.*
> *Not yourself—you’re looking for* him."
Katsuki’s eyes narrowed.
Something inside him trembled.
But all that came out was:
> *"Yes."*
> *"And this is my fight."*
⚫ **Cracks**
Kirishima stayed silent.
His hands balled into fists.
No tears fell, but his voice shook.
> *"We survived together.*
> *You… came back from that hell with me. With* us."
Katsuki lowered his eyes.
> *"But I didn’t come back with* him."
> *"That’s why…*
> *You’ll never understand."*
> *"For me, the war never ended."*
---
🩹 **Fracture**
Todoroki crossed his arms.
His eyes were cold.
> *"I get it, Bakugou.*
> *But if you get lost on this path…*
> *We won’t be able to hold you back."*
Katsuki shrugged.
But in that moment, his eyes welled up—
Not with understanding, but with loneliness.
> *"Maybe… I wanted to ask for help. But the noise in my head wouldn’t let me."*
> *"If you really want to know the truth… don’t tell anyone."*
> *"Don’t hold me back anyway."*
Katsuki turned without another word, walking toward the other end of the hallway.
As he passed Kirishima, he almost reached for his shoulder—but stopped himself.
All he left behind was:
A broken clock.
Just like in the dream, its time frozen.
But on its inner face, something was carved:
> *"No one understood.*
> *Only he did…"*
---
⚫ **Scene: Files Sealed in Silence**
Location: Tokyo Hero Archives – Midnight
Katsuki had slipped into a special building where old records were kept.
His backpack held only a flashlight, his chest pounding with unanswered questions:
*Did Izuku really die… or did he just disappear?*
The shelves reeked of mold.
Some documents—especially the *"Code: Midoriya – Delta Operation"* file—were completely sealed.
But one caught his eye.
> *Time of Death: 04:17*
> *Witnesses: None*
> *Responding Hero: Ground Zero – Status: Unconscious*
> *Eyewitness Reports: Inconclusive*
Katsuki’s hands trembled.
No witnesses.
No records.
The funeral documents were full of falsified information.
Even the *"DNA sample"* section stated that none had been found—only scraps of clothing and blood.
> *"But was it even his blood?"* he wondered.
And then, another document.
A note.
Just one line in the corner:
> *"His absence was louder than his presence."*
Katsuki slumped into a chair.
His eyes stayed glued to the papers.
He swallowed.
His eyelids grew heavy.
> *"Just a minute… just a minute to rest…"*
> *"Dammit… Izuku, what am I missing?"*
> *"Izuku… what do you want me to see?"*
And his eyes closed.
---
**Dream: "The Missing Page"**
Katsuki found himself in a dark library.
Files surrounded him, but the shelves were burning, writhing in flames.
One file fell to the ground, opening on its own.
Blank pages flipped—
Only one line remained, written in red ink:
> *"What lies did you believe when I was gone, Kacchan…?"*
Katsuki turned toward the voice.
A desk.
A pocket watch on it.
But the watch was ticking *backward.*
And at the desk…
Izuku.
But his face wasn’t clear—blurred, like a fading memory.
Only his voice was sharp.
> *"You didn’t believe in me.*
> *But you trusted me.*
> *Which one was true?"*
Katsuki reached out.
> *"I didn’t… lose you. Right?*
> *There’s still… a trace, a breath, something…"*
Izuku placed a file on the desk.
It was empty.
Only a coded note at the very end:
> *"Those who seek the truth must first remember their first lie."*
And beneath it, symbols:
An **A**, the silhouette of a child, and an upside-down rose.
The watch’s chime rang out.
**4:17**
And everything collapsed at once.
Katsuki screamed into the flames:
> *"WHAT DID I FORGET?!"*
---
**Awakening**
Katsuki woke up gasping.
Maybe an hour had passed. Maybe more.
The files on the table were scattered on the floor.
But something caught his attention:
One of the fallen documents bore All Might’s seal—a note that shouldn’t have been in the official archives.
And on it, just one line:
> *"The one who stops 4:17… can turn back time."*
Katsuki picked up the file.
Looked around.
No one was there.
But he knew now—he wasn’t alone.
*Someone, or something… was watching him.*
⚫ **Scene: "Last Hope – All Might’s Door"**
Katsuki, holding the file he’d just found, walked through the midnight cold toward the old hero academy building.
His steps were silent, but the storm inside him tore through the darkness ahead.
*"4:17… the clock… can it really be reversed?"* he muttered to himself.
When he reached the door, the massive iron gate creaked open.
Inside, under dim lights, the retired hero All Might sat.
Weary, but still carrying that old strength and resolve.
Katsuki hesitated, then spoke:
*"All Might… something’s wrong with Izuku’s death. The files, the witnesses, the time… none of it adds up."*
All Might took a heavy breath, deep sorrow in his eyes.
*"You know, Young Bakugo… in that war, we weren’t just fighting enemies. We were fighting the system itself. The truth… sometimes hides in the shadows."*
Katsuki knelt, his gaze unwavering:
*"Help me. Show me how to find the truth."*
All Might studied him for a long moment, then pulled an old key from his pocket.
*"This will open the hidden door of the war. But I warn you, Young Bakugo… the truth often hurts. And some doors, once opened, can never be closed again."*
Katsuki took the key, his fingers trembling—but inside, hope grew.
*"I don’t want to go back, All Might. I just want to find Izuku… and end the silence."*
All Might nodded, weary but hopeful.
*"Then… even in darkness, there is still a path for those who seek the light."*
As Katsuki stepped through the door, the closing shadows didn’t just hide the secrets of the past—they stirred the fears within him.
---
⚫ **Scene: Shattered Hero Archives**
When Katsuki inserted the key All Might had given him into the sealed archive door, the heavy scent of iron and mold clung to his throat.
This archive… hadn’t been abandoned.
It had been *hidden.*
Files…
Unlabeled folders, undated records…
Everything seemed deliberately erased.
The first file he pulled from the dust bore a name:
> *"Midoriya, Izuku — 4.17 — State Quarantine Code: V.E.R. - XIII"*
A drop of sweat slid down Katsuki’s forehead.
*"What… is this?"* he whispered.
The file opened to missing photos.
Torn reports.
Whole sections blacked out with ink.
But some lines remained:
> *"Time of death unconfirmed…"*
> *"No digital record of the body…"*
> *"Codename: Green Eye — Cooperated with the state."*
> *"Probability of reawakening: [---] 7.14% — keep classified."*
Then… a sound.
No, not an echo.
A real voice.
But was it from the walls? Behind him? He couldn’t tell.
> *"You dig through your own grave, Ground Zero."*
Katsuki froze.
His heart pounded wildly.
> *"Looking for him? He’s still here. But even you wouldn’t recognize him now."*
Katsuki roared:
*"SHOW YOURSELF!! WHO ARE YOU?!"*
The answer was laughter.
High-pitched, metallic, inhuman.
A note on the ground:
> *"Those who sleep forever are only killed by those who forget."*
And in the corner of the room, a pocket watch began flashing.
The time…
Counting down to **4:17.**
---
The dusty projector in the archive suddenly turned on by itself.
Katsuki’s eyes snapped to the white screen as the image flickered to life.
The colors were faded.
No timestamp, no location metadata.
Just a short clip.
Only a few seconds.
A room with white lights.
Someone lying on a stretcher.
The camera angle was bad.
Their face wasn’t visible.
But green hair…
And a finger—the left thumb—twitching slightly.
Katsuki’s heart nearly burst from his chest.
He stared unblinking at the screen.
*"Is— Is that him?"*
The image froze.
Then played again.
The same moment.
The same twitch.
But… was this a loop?
A real recording, or a manipulation?
Katsuki lunged forward.
Marched to the projector.
Checked the system playing the footage—but everything was off.
The plug was pulled.
The screen shouldn’t have been on.
Yet the image kept playing.
Katsuki whispered: *"This isn’t just a recording… is it?"*
Then, a scrap of paper on the desk:
> *"I showed him to you because I can’t let you forget.*
> *But the truth isn’t shown…*
> *It’s lived."*
Beneath it, a small stamp:
> *XIII // DUST-H*
And beside it, an old child’s card—a worn All Might collectible—but the words scribbled in the corner stood out:
> *"Dreams don’t abandon you… even when they choose to die."*
Katsuki’s hands shook.
He *knew* this card.
The one he’d placed on Izuku’s grave with his own hands.
But this card… hadn’t burned.
The mud stains were fresh.
It shouldn’t have been here.
A single word escaped him:
> *"Hiding… Or being hidden."*
> *"They’re watching him… and now, me."*
He realized now—he wasn’t alone on this journey.
But it wasn’t his friends, not his allies…
Someone was *observing.*
Someone who knew his every step.
Someone who *wanted* him here.
Katsuki’s chest tightened.
> *"They’re not helping. They’re just pushing me… deeper."*
---
⚫ **Tracking – Guilt Echoing in Silence**
When Yaoyorozu first opened the lab door, only silence echoed in the dust.
But upon closer inspection, she noticed something.
A notebook.
Katsuki’s old journal.
Pages were missing.
But on the edge, a few handwritten words remained:
> *"Time… doesn’t go back. But it leaves traces."*
When Iida read that line, he adjusted his glasses—but his throat knotted.
> *"Time…"* he repeated to himself, *"...is speaking. Trying to tell us something. But we never listened."*
Kirishima collapsed into a chair. In his hand was an old map fragment from Katsuki’s bag.
Only one letter was marked on it:
**H.**
Todoroki leaned against the wall.
For the first time since the war, it wasn’t coldness inside him—but burning guilt.
> *"None of us understood his pain. Because he was strong… we thought he was untouchable."*
Uraraka stared at an old photo on the wall.
Izuku and Katsuki.
Facing each other, yet no words between them.
> *"Silence… Katsuki was the one speaking the loudest while we stayed quiet. But we never listened."*
Yaoyorozu suddenly found a small photo wedged in the notebook.
On the back, a date:
**4.17**
And a line:
> *"The hour of death is the echo of silence."*
All their throats went dry.
Todoroki whispered:
> *"We have to reach him. But… maybe this time, we just follow. Without interfering. Because this path… is about him."*
Kirishima nodded.
> *"This time… we just watch. Because we always spoke wrong—maybe now, by staying silent, we stand by him."*
---
Class 1-A, while tracking Katsuki’s trail, finds small clues:
A torn bus ticket.
A map corner resembling ruin coordinates.
A paper stamped with *"XIII // Dust-H."*
And an underground archive access card.
All these fragments pointed toward the ruins where Katsuki had fallen in the war.
But no one dared to follow him.
Yaoyorozu:
> *"Sometimes… understanding someone isn’t about standing beside them.*
> *It’s about respecting their path."*
Chapter 7: ORIGIN: The Riddle Beneath the Ashes
Summary:
To find the truth, return to where you began."*
*"When the masks fall, you’ll see whether you’re a killer or a hero."*
Chapter Text
Conflict in the Ruins: Between Fire, Ice, and Ashes** 🔥❄️💥
Katsuki knelt among the rubble, staring at an old pocket watch half-buried in the earth.
Time had stopped.
As if the past itself had frozen along with it.
Then—footsteps.
Katsuki:
> *"Didn't I tell you not to come...?"*
Todoroki emerged from the shadows, breathless.
> *"I know. But... I couldn’t leave you alone."*
Katsuki gritted his teeth.
> *"I didn’t say I didn’t *want* to be alone. I told you not to come. Because this path... is my hell."*
Todoroki took a step forward—unknowingly dislodging an old stone. Beneath it, a spiral symbol... cracked.
As if a compass had shifted direction.
Katsuki shouted:
> *"What the hell did you do?! That was... one of the guides!"*
Todoroki recoiled.
> *"I’m sorry—I didn’t know."*
> *"Just like back then,"* Katsuki hissed. *"Meddling in everyone’s lives without understanding a damn thing."*
At that moment, the air around them changed.
The shadows... reformed.
A mysterious man.
His face was hidden, but his voice was ice-cold:
> *"How lovely. Fire came, and now ice follows."*
His gaze locked onto Todoroki:
> *"You... Endeavor’s bastard."*
Todoroki’s eyes widened.
The man continued:
> *"You ran from fire. But your ice won’t free you."*
He turned to Katsuki, mocking:
> *"While fleeing your own shadow, you drag others brave enough to follow. Charming."*
From his pocket, he drew an old scroll.
Two riddles were inscribed—one for Katsuki, one for Todoroki.
**Katsuki’s Riddle:**
> *"Where fire turns to ash, sound does not echo.
Yet beneath the ashes,
a buried breath lingers.
What silence still calls out?"*
**Todoroki’s Riddle:**
> *"Fire is his.
Ice is yours.
But which is your word?
Which speaks when you fall silent?"*
Todoroki’s eyes widened.
And in that instant—a memory flashed in his mind.
---
**Flashback: Sports Festival**
Izuku stood across from Todoroki, shouting:
> *"This is *your* power—not his!
Fight with your own words!
Not just against your father... but against yourself!"*
The crowd’s noise faded.
Only Izuku’s voice remained, echoing:
> *"You’re not just a fragment, Todoroki.
But what if you’re *nothing*?
When will you choose who you are?"*
⚫ **Back to the Ruins**
Todoroki’s eyes glistened.
Katsuki was still clenching his jaw, but now he, too, was silent—lost in his own riddle.
The mysterious man retreated, leaving behind a single stone.
Carved into it were the words:
> *"Different traces of the same power,
different losses in the same war.
To follow the trail,
you must first know what you’ve lost."*
---
⚫ **DREAM: A SPLIT CHILDHOOD**
Todoroki suddenly found himself back in the Sports Festival arena. No audience. No noise. No oppressive glare from his father. Just him—and across the battered, panting figure of Izuku Midoriya.
As Todoroki stepped forward, Izuku raised a hand, his expression soft yet stern.
> *"This is *your* power... not his."*
The words stabbed through him again. Then the scene shifted.
Ash rained down. A battlefield. His brother... lay motionless, eyes open but lifeless. Todoroki reached out—but he was too late.
*"I tried to save you!"* he screamed into the dream. No answer came.
Endeavor appeared behind him—no remorse in his eyes, only authority.
*"You never surpassed me,"* he said coldly. *"You hid your fire *and* your ice because of me."*
As Todoroki collapsed to his knees, the dream sky cracked open—and *that man* emerged.
Faceless. Voice piercing:
> *"Endeavor’s bastard... still unsure which side of yourself is real?"*
> *"Now it’s your turn. Will you see the truth, or keep dying in your father’s shadow?"*
He hurled another riddle at Todoroki:
> *"You smothered yourself in ice, but were born of fire.
Your father’s shadow covered you,
but he wasn’t the first to truly *see* you.
Your greatest battle wasn’t in the arena, but within.
If you want to return to who you are,
go back to where it began.
A trace awaits you there."*
⚫ **AWAKENING**
Todoroki jolted awake, drenched in sweat. On his pillow—a note smudged with ash:
> *"He believed in me. I believe in you.
Yet both of you still run from yourselves."*
Clutching the note, Todoroki sat up, resolve hardening in his eyes.
---
⚫ **RETURN TO UA**
The dream had led him somewhere. Like Katsuki, he was now part of something bigger—accidentally, unwillingly, but irreversibly.
They would return to UA.
Not just to face memories—but truths buried and rotting for years.
---
**Katsuki’s Dream: Between Fire and Silence** 💥🔥
The dream began like time travel. Katsuki stood in the empty UA Sports Festival arena. No crowd. No noise. Just him—and across from him, Todoroki, frozen, fists half-clenched, fire unused.
*"What’re you waiting for?"* Katsuki demanded.
Todoroki stayed silent, conflict in his eyes.
Then Izuku’s voice cut in:
> *"You can do it, Todoroki! This is *your* power, not his!"*
The words echoed. Katsuki’s breath hitched.
That phrase... still burned in his mind.
> *"This is *your* power..."*
The dream fractured. Todoroki and the arena dissolved, leaving only Izuku in the void. Katsuki stepped forward—but symbols appeared beneath his feet:
🕳 *"War isn’t won by strength alone..."*
🕳 *"If you don’t trust your own power, how can you save anyone?"*
🕳 *"Was Todoroki the only one running from his fire?"*
Izuku turned to him, face shadowed but smile sharp:
> *"Kacchan...
Is the strongest always the most honest?"*
> *"And you... who have you ever protected as your truest self?"*
He held up a bloodstained All Might card:
> *"Time’s running out.
What do you remember, Kacchan?
And where do your forgotten things lead you?"*
A final riddle whispered from the dark:
*"When you fought, someone fell silent.
When you silenced yourself, someone burned.
The loudest scream was the quietest one.
To look back,
you must first descend beneath the arena."*
Katsuki woke drenched in sweat.
The dream pointed him to UA—to what lay *under* the Sports Festival arena.
---
⚫ **UA REUNION: WEARY WARRIORS**
Katsuki slipped into the arena’s underbelly at midnight—only to find Todoroki already there.
Their eyes met. A heavy silence.
Katsuki scowled.
> *"Didn’t invite you, Half-and-Half."*
Todoroki shrugged.
> *"You weren’t invited either. Yet here we are."*
Katsuki exhaled sharply. Todoroki stepped closer.
> *"Seems the dreams led us to the same place."*
Katsuki turned away, voice low:
> *"Then we search side by side—not together.
These damn riddles aren’t asking us the same things."*
---
⚫ **UA’S DEPTHS: THE BREAKING POINT**
Todoroki’s riddle began burning in his palm:
*"Fire is your chain, ice your wall..."*
Katsuki’s eyes narrowed. A symbol glowed on the floor—fire and ice intertwined, a scale unbalanced.
Todoroki touched the engraving.
> *"Was this my shield... or my shackles?"*
A *click*. The ground trembled. A hidden door slid open—revealing a secret UA lab.
Screens displayed:
**"Project Chimera - 1-A Case Study"**
Endeavor’s voice played from a recording:
> *"Proceed with Quirk evolution tests. Focus on Midoriya’s fracture points and Todoroki’s control balance."*
> *"Expand the nitrosin glands in Bakugo’s sweat."*
Katsuki’s fists shook.
> *"They used us like lab rats..."*
Todoroki’s voice wavered:
> *"My father... knew. And so did I..."*
Footsteps echoed. Endeavor and a squad of heroes approached.
> *"We shouldn’t be here—"*
Katsuki tensed, but Todoroki stopped him.
> *"No. We leave. No one can know we were here."*
---
⚫ **THE MIDORIYA HOUSEHOLD: WHISPERS IN THE SILENCE**
Inko Midoriya opened the door, grief and guilt etched into her face. Katsuki avoided her eyes. Todoroki stepped in like a trespasser in a sacred place.
The house was frozen in time. Izuku’s room untouched—as if he’d just stepped out.
A clock on the desk read **4:17**—Izuku’s official time of death.
Yet... it was still ticking.
> *"Time... never stopped here,"* Todoroki murmured.
A breeze rustled the pages of an open notebook.
Then—a voice:
> *"I always knew you’d understand me one day."*
Izuku’s voice. Not a trick of the mind. Deeper.
And each was pulled into a memory...
---
**🎞️ Memory Flash — Katsuki**
Katsuki stood on a rooftop, yelling at Izuku—but this wasn’t the past. A different timeline.
Izuku spoke calmly:
> *"You were always one step ahead, Kacchan. But some things... you had to fall behind to understand."*
He held out a notebook. On its cover, a message in blood:
> *"To find the truth, return to where you began."*
**🎞️ Memory Flash — Todoroki**
Todoroki was back in the arena post-fight, alone with Izuku.
> *"This is *your* power. Not his.
And now it’s time to carry it.
Your father’s shadow doesn’t just fall *on* you—it seeps *into* you."*
A small mirror appeared in Todoroki’s hand. One word etched into it:
**"ORIGIN."**
---
⚫ **THE TURNING POINT**
Katsuki and Todoroki snapped back to reality. The notebook lay open, Izuku’s handwriting forming a riddle:
> *"When fire’s chain shatters,
the heart’s secret scatters.
To see the truth,
return to the start.
UA is not just a school.
It’s a beginning.
But the *true* beginning...
lies buried beneath."*
A symbol reflected on the window—fire and ice entwined, a child’s silhouette bound in chains.
At its core: **𝙊**.
---
🌒 **THE MYSTERIOUS MAN’S RETURN**
As they left, the streets felt wrong. Footsteps not their own echoed.
The man in black reappeared, his voice like rusted chains:
> *"One embraces his fire, the other chokes his rage.
Yet you’re both still children.
You don’t know the truth. You haven’t grown."*
Katsuki snarled:
> *"You keep running! What do you *want* from us?!"*
The man smiled.
> *"Not from you.
From what’s hidden *within* you."*
He tossed a die. It landed on **6**.
Then he handed them an envelope. A blood-drawn symbol—a hero mask, cracked.
> *"All want to be heroes.
None realize they’re killers.
Are the mask-wearers innocent,
or those who designed the masks?"*
As he vanished, his final words lingered:
> *"In your father’s mirror, you’ll see not just yourself...
but society’s truth."*
---
⚫ **ENDEAVOR’S HOUSE: FIRE BENEATH ICE**
The abandoned Todoroki estate was frozen in neglect—yet alive with echoes.
A holographic screen played a classified file:
**"Hero Commission Emergency Meeting - Confidential"**
Endeavor’s voice:
> *"...we must lie to the public.
There *is* no body. The footage is inconclusive...
But a missing persons declaration and a symbolic funeral will prevent societal collapse."*
Katsuki froze.
> *"What the hell does he mean *no body*?! Whose funeral?!"*
Todoroki clenched his fists. This wasn’t new to him—but hearing it with someone else made it real.
The screen flickered, revealing a hidden message:
> *"📍UA/Origin/Lab06: Return to where you began.
The traces don’t choose you.
You choose the traces."*
Todoroki took a deep breath.
> *"We know where to go."*
Katsuki nodded. But Izuku’s words echoed louder:
> *"I always knew you’d understand me."*
---
**🌙 DREAM — TODOROKI: SHADOW IN THE DARK** ❄️🔥
Todoroki stood in a burning Hosu. Stain loomed before him, Izuku at his side—older, wearier.
> *"Remember, Shoto?"* Izuku whispered. *"We never truly understood why he fought."*
Stain stepped forward, eyes wild yet clear:
> *"True heroes are measured by truth—not blood."*
The scene shifted to a UA archive. A recording played:
> *"Izuku Midoriya’s death records were sealed following the 4:17 national broadcast."*
Izuku pressed a hand to Todoroki’s chest:
> *"When did you ever use your fire for *yourself*, Shoto?"*
Then, a riddle whispered:
*"The child born of two opposites
will burn the past sealed in shadow.
But first, he must find the heart
that could never forgive his father’s fire."*
---
**🌙 DREAM — KATSUKI: THE BOY IN THE POND**
Katsuki walked to the old pond—but the grass was ash. The silence suffocated him.
A voice called:
> *"Kacchan..."*
Little Izuku stood there, hand outstretched.
> *"Can you get up?
Are you okay?"*
But his reflection in the water wasn’t his own—just Izuku’s face, fracturing.
In Izuku’s palm: a broken All Might figure. A symbol carved beneath:
⌛ + 🗝️ + 🏠
Izuku’s voice carried on the wind:
> *"Where we break is where we begin.
But only if you remember.
I’ll be waiting in the forgotten house."*
As Izuku vanished, only the symbol remained.
Chapter 8: **"Whispers in the Graveyard Dust
Summary:
*"Perhaps graves are not the end. Perhaps the truth lies not beneath the earth, but deep within hearts
Chapter Text
UA Archives – Deep Layers / Midnight**
Katsuki holds a broken flashlight. Todoroki opens old metal drawers one by one. Among the dusty files, a sealed document catches his eye:
🗂️ **"Case Code 417 – I. Midoriya"**
When opened, most of the pages are blacked out. Some sections are torn, others ripped away. But the remaining fragments… are bone-chilling.
> *"Place of death: Unknown."*
> *"No autopsy performed."*
> *"Witness reports are contradictory."*
Todoroki mutters under his breath: *"Nothing adds up… It's like… someone deliberately erased it all."*
Katsuki looks up. As he reaches for another drawer, he finds an old digital recorder. He wipes off the dust and presses play.
**[Audio Recording Starts]**
> *"We can't reach Midoriya. Shigaraki… we don’t know where he is. Even the survivors… they won’t talk."*
> *"We have to hide this. Society… would shatter."*
Suddenly, the dim archive lights begin flickering.
A silhouette emerges from the shadows behind them.
Katsuki whirls around: *"Who’s there?!"*
Footsteps slowly approach.
Silence...
Then, a familiar but weary voice:
*"That’s enough."*
**Aizawa Shota.**
But… different. His eyes are sunken, his beard unkempt, his cloak tattered—as if he’s been living here for years. A ghost of himself.
Todoroki takes a step back. *"Sensei… what are you doing here?"*
Aizawa studies them. His gaze is stern… but broken.
> *"You weren’t supposed to find those files."*
> *"Sometimes the truth doesn’t make you a hero—it breaks you."*
Katsuki nearly shouts in fury: *"What are you hiding?! Is Izuku dead or alive?!"*
Aizawa silently pulls out an old document from his bag. Half-burned, edges charred. In the center, a code:
**"The end of the road = A copy of the beginning."**
Beneath it, a new riddle:
> *"If time is sealed, if witnesses are silenced,*
> *Where is the truth hidden?*
> *Only the 'eye' can discern lies from reality."*
Aizawa lifts a hand to his face. He peels back his eyepatch.
But beneath it—not an empty socket. A small tattooed symbol:
🕳️🧿📚 (**Void + Eye + Knowledge**)
Todoroki whispers: *"This… points to another chamber beneath UA."*
Aizawa turns away.
> *"Nothing is as it seems anymore.*
> *You won the battle… but lost the truth."*
Then, he vanishes into the shadows.
Katsuki clenches the file, his fist trembling.
*He swears he won’t let this go.*
---
### **FLASHBACK – After the Silence**
The hospital corridors bear the scars of war. Bloodied stretchers, screaming nurses, the lingering smell of smoke. Aizawa leans against a wall, an untreated gash on his cheek. His hair clings to his forehead with sweat. His eyes are dark. Exhausted.
But he’s waiting.
**Izuku Midoriya… had been brought in. Alive.**
He’d survived the final clash with Shigaraki. Unconscious, but breathing. That was the only truth Aizawa knew.
He calls out to a passing nurse:
*"Midoriya Izuku—Deku. What’s his condition?"*
The woman hesitates. Her eyes meet his, but she says nothing. She just bows her head and walks away.
Aizawa’s brow furrows.
Instinct kicks in. He moves to enter—but three men in black suits block the hallway. No hero badges. No familiar faces.
*"I’m going to Midoriya’s room,"* Aizawa says, stepping forward.
They don’t budge.
*"Your teacher status isn’t enough,"* one says. *"This matter is under state control."*
Aizawa’s eyes widen. *"What nonsense? He’s my student—"*
*"Not anymore."*
Something inside him snaps. As he takes another step, a hand grips his shoulder—the hospital director.
His eyes are full of fear. He whispers:
*"Please. Don’t make trouble. This… is beyond us."*
For the first time, Aizawa falls silent.
But his eyes scream.
---
### **The Next Day – The Announcement**
Izuku Midoriya is declared dead.
Cardiac arrest. Failed resuscitation.
But Aizawa never saw a death certificate.
No autopsy report.
No doctor would speak to him.
Weeks later, the case was closed.
Sealed in government archives.
Access restricted.
And Aizawa… never spoke of it again.
Because if he pushed further…
*The next to disappear could be his students.*
---
### **NIGHT – UA SECRET ARCHIVES, LEVEL -3**
This part of the school doesn’t exist on any blueprint. Todoroki’s ice forces the elevator’s "authorized access" panel; Katsuki’s explosions short-circuit the system.
The elevator groans as it descends. Rusted steel doors loom ahead, untouched for years.
They’ve reached UA’s heart.
Katsuki scowls. *"If we’re caught, we’re never getting out."*
Todoroki remains calm. *"If we leave these questions unanswered… we were never free to begin with."*
The doors open.
Dust and decay flood their senses. The room is caught between heat and cold. A single red emergency light flickers overhead.
On the wall—a board.
Katsuki approaches. Newspaper clippings, encrypted notes, shredded reports.
Todoroki pulls a file: **"IZUKU MIDORIYA – Post-Intervention Stabilization."**
Handwritten notes inside:
> *"Irregular heart rhythm after chest trauma. Initial intervention appeared successful, but…"*
> *"Classification: High-Risk (State Discretion)."*
> *"Relocation… limited disclosure to medical staff."*
Todoroki whispers: *"Bakugou… this isn’t an official death report."*
Katsuki snatches the file, scanning it like it might burn. *"This wasn’t even written at the hospital. These are UA’s internal records. Why are they here?"*
Then—a click.
A voice crackles from a speaker above the door.
Aizawa’s voice. But not live—a recording.
> *"I won’t ask any more questions. This… is an order from above. Discussion of Midoriya’s fate is prohibited."*
> *"If I speak again—the other students will be at risk. The ones behind this system would sacrifice even children. Don’t mistake my silence for surrender. I’m protecting them."*
Katsuki’s fist clenches. *"He stayed quiet… to protect us."*
Todoroki listens intently. *"If this recording is here—someone wanted us to find it."*
Then, his eyes land on something in a glass case:
An old hero license card—embossed with All Might’s symbol.
Izuku’s name is faded but still visible.
Katsuki picks it up slowly.
*The card he thought was lost in battle… the one he left at the grave… is here.*
---
### **DREAM SCENE – A LUMINOUS VOID**
Both had fallen asleep in different places—Todoroki in his bed, Katsuki slumped in the archives. But they’re pulled into the same light.
An endless white space. No up, no down. Just warmth.
Then, a voice. Soft. Speaking heart-to-heart.
> *"You never really understood me, did you?"*
> *"I wasn’t who you thought I was. But I… always believed in you."*
They turn.
**Izuku.**
Neither dead nor alive.
Somewhere between childhood and now, his eyes still shining with faith.
Todoroki’s knees weaken.
Katsuki holds his breath.
Izuku raises a hand. Not for help—for understanding.
> *"Sho-chan… remember? At the festival, I was scared yelling at you. But I still… believed in your strength."*
> *"Kacchan… you were always strong. But I stood by you not just for that—but because you kept getting up, even when your heart was broken."*
Fragmented memories flash before them:
—Todoroki’s trembling hand in the arena.
—Katsuki, wounded, staring at Izuku after their first fight.
—The three of them walking together in the rain.
—Laughter. Tears. Screams.
Then, Izuku speaks again. Firm but gentle.
> *"Graves aren’t always the end. Some things aren’t buried underground—they’re hidden deep in hearts."*
The void shifts. Grass, soil, a cold stone.
**Izuku’s grave.**
But different—broken chains, a bouquet, and a half-unearthed **time key** lodged in the earth.
Todoroki and Katsuki wake miles apart…
But whisper the same word:
> *"The grave…"*
---
### **MEETING AT THE GRAVE – A NEW ALLY**
Dawn breaks cold and dry. Leaves rustle in silence. Katsuki and Todoroki stand before Izuku’s memorial statue, the tombstone beneath it weathered but untouched.
Katsuki crouches, brushing dust off the All Might card he left years ago. Still there.
Todoroki steps closer. Neither speaks for a long time.
Then, Katsuki looks up:
*"Did you… have the same dream?"*
Todoroki nods.
A pause.
Then, one whispered phrase:
*"The ice cream… in the park?"*
Katsuki doesn’t answer at first.
But then he closes his eyes.
And the dream replays in their minds.
---
### **FLASHBACK – A LOST MEMORY**
A summer evening. Sunset. The three of them sitting in a park. Izuku, Shoto, Katsuki.
Three ice cream cones between them. Izuku rambles about a hero magazine he just read. Todoroki listens quietly. Katsuki acts indifferent but eventually snaps:
*"All Might doesn’t spout nonsense like that! The expression on that card is seriousness, nerd!"*
Izuku laughs. *"There you go again, Kacchan!"*
Todoroki watches them… and smiles.
For once, it’s peaceful.
No war. No death. Just a preserved moment of childhood.
Then, the dream dissolves.
Voices distort. Colors fade. Izuku’s silhouette speaks one last time—directly.
> *"Some moments are buried… but not forgotten. The answers you seek aren’t in the grave. But if you look in the right place… you might see. Where it all began."*
His voice echoes with a symbol:
A **spiral**.
And it appears carved into the tombstone.
---
### **BACK AT THE GRAVE**
Katsuki and Todoroki open their eyes.
> **Todoroki:** *"He said the same words to both of us. Do you think… that was really a dream?"*
> **Katsuki:** *"It was real. I can’t call anything ‘just a dream’ anymore."*
They stare at the grave.
Todoroki kneels. Presses a hand to the soil.
> **Todoroki:** *"There’s something underneath, isn’t there?"*
> **Katsuki:** *"We’re meant to find this. To dig up what’s hidden beneath."*
Todoroki hesitates. A shiver of fear.
> *"What if… we’re wrong? What if this is betraying him?"*
> **Katsuki:** *"Izuku trusted us. He led us here."*
Silence.
Then Katsuki:
*"We dig."*
---
### **A NEW COMPLICATION – KIRISHIMA ARRIVES**
Just as they’re about to break the earth, footsteps approach.
*"What are you doing here? Have you lost your minds? At least let him rest in peace!"*
**Kirishima Eijiro** steps forward, his expression torn between worry and resolve. His eyes burn—no longer the passive boy from before, but a man making his own choices.
> **Katsuki:** *"Kirishima? The hell are you doing here?"*
> **Todoroki:** *"There’s something here we need to find. Something we have to know."*
> **Kirishima:** *"But… this should stay hidden. You thought no one should know, right? You’ve always been like this—charging into battles without looking back. But no more! We’re not pawns. We… choose our own path now. I can’t stay away. I saw Izuku too. The dreams led me here. I won’t hide anything from you anymore."*
Katsuki’s scowl softens slightly. Todoroki relaxes a fraction.
> **Katsuki (gruff but quieter):** *"Then… what did you see? What do you know?"*
> **Kirishima (whispering):** *"Izuku wasn’t just a hero. He left us a riddle—hidden behind what we’ve lost. It’ll guide us, but we have to walk in the dark."*
Katsuki’s eyes flicker with something unreadable.
Todoroki remains steady, but Kirishima’s words strike true.
> **Kirishima:** *"These secrets won’t just destroy heroes—they’ll destroy hero society. That’s why I’m here. I’ve been watching you, but now… I’m joining this fight."*
Katsuki exhales sharply.
> **Katsuki:** *"What about 1-A? They can’t know. If they get involved, it’s over."*
> **Kirishima:** *"I know. That’s why I’ll help. I’ll keep them away."*
Todoroki’s voice hardens:
*"I haven’t lost my way. But I’m here to face the truth. The three of us stand at the same door now. This grave… is a gateway hidden beneath lies."*
Katsuki stares at the tombstone. Something wet glistens in the soil—a secret waiting to be unearthed.
> **Katsuki (whispering):** *"What’s really buried here?"*
> **Kirishima (thoughtful):** *"Maybe the answers aren’t here. But this is where we start."*
Todoroki takes a deep breath.
> **Todoroki:** *"Then… we walk this path together."*
---
Under the Silence of Night – The Weight of Secrets**
In the dead of night, three heroes stand united before a grave, burdened by the weight of unanswered questions.
Somewhere in the darkness, a shadow watches silently.
The secrets lurking in the abyss draw closer—there is no turning back now.
Katsuki, Todoroki, and Kirishima stand in heavy silence before the tombstone. Each carries their own pain, their own fragile hope, waiting for the grave to reveal its truth.
Katsuki presses his hand against the cold stone. When he pulls away, a dusty box is revealed. Inside lies an old but carefully crafted **emerald ring**, its chain still intact. As he slips it onto his finger, something stirs in his chest. This ring—a secret gift from Izuku in their childhood—was a symbol of courage and friendship. A memory echoes in his mind: *"This is your chain, just like your fire. Never let it go."* Izuku’s voice lingers in his ears.
Todoroki retrieves a small wooden box from another corner of the grave. Inside rests a **delicate red-and-white bracelet**—a memento from his mother, once given to him by Izuku as a protective charm. In the darkest days of war, he had drawn strength from it. The bracelet reminds him not just of his family, but of Izuku’s unwavering support.
Kirishima, hesitant but eyes burning with resolve, picks up an **old red headband** from the edge of the grave. He remembers wearing it as a child, how its simplicity had once made him feel invincible. Now, it feels like a final keepsake—a testament to Izuku’s belief in him.
As they hold these relics, they feel it—**Izuku is still here**. Not in the grave, but somewhere, bound to them by an invisible thread.
But beneath it all lies an **aged parchment**, its surface etched with cryptic symbols and a riddle:
> *"What you see is neither real, nor dream;*
> *The beginning and end meet here.*
> *Seek me where time shatters—*
> *When you find the clue, choose your path."*
Katsuki grips the ring. Todoroki traces the bracelet. Kirishima presses the headband to his chest.
This riddle will lead them into UA’s buried past—into the **secrets hidden beneath the ruins of their war**.
And they will face it **together**.
---
### **The Ghosts of Childhood**
Night has fallen. In the cemetery left behind by the war, three figures kneel before a grave. They have grown, but in this moment, their silhouettes tremble like lost children, still clutching the missing pieces of their youth.
Katsuki leans against the tombstone, fingers brushing the emerald ring. His eyes are dry, but inside, the wound still bleeds. In a voice barely above a whisper, he speaks:
> *"I… still can’t forget his smile. His laugh. Damn it… Out of all the noise in the world, I just want to hear **his** voice again. That stubborn, hopeful, childish voice—the one that always yelled, *'Don’t give up, Kacchan!'*"*
Todoroki closes his eyes, the bracelet tight in his palm. The silence of the graveyard wars with the echoes in his mind—his mother’s gaze, his father’s shadow, the lies of war. But Izuku had always been different. **Clear. Warm. Honest.**
> *"I… kept my distance from him. But he never stayed away. He was always close. To everyone. Even to me. He saw me—**really** saw me. My fire, my ice, my stubbornness. He understood me before I understood myself."*
Kirishima clutches the headband in both hands. His lips tremble as he stares at the ground. He speaks like a child, like a friend, like a man who has fought too long.
> *"I… held onto his hope. He was the brightest of us. When the war ended, the light went out. And I… I still can’t adjust to the dark."*
For a long moment, no one speaks. Three young men, heads bowed before a grave, are no longer the heroes the world sees—just **three broken children**, haunted by what they’ve lost.
Katsuki lifts his head, eyes glistening. This isn’t the first time grief has choked him, but it never gets easier.
> *"I… still can’t believe he’s dead. He might be in this grave, but he’s alive in here."* (He presses a fist to his chest.) *"And this ring… It’s not the last thing tying me to him. He’s still out there. I know it. I can **feel** it—that damn nerd is still breathing somewhere."*
Todoroki looks at him, then nods silently.
> *"Then we go. No matter the cost. Maybe the truth beneath this grave will tell us what to believe."*
Kirishima ties the headband around his forehead and exhales sharply.
> *"I don’t just want to be a hero anymore. I just… want my friend back. I want to **protect** him this time. No matter what it takes."*
One last silence falls over them.
Chapter 9: In the Dust of Time: Secrets of a Lost Heart
Summary:
**"Sometimes the greatest war is fought against the ghosts of your past."**
Chapter Text
How Many Years Has It Been?"**
Katsuki's gaze was fixed on the stone. The cold engraving he had read thousands of times still pierced him like a blade. But today… it felt different. This silence, this night, this chain of dreams—everything had changed.
**"How many times have I come here? How many times have I sat in front of this grave, unable to say a word? Because there were no words left. Because you left, and I stayed behind."**
His fingers unconsciously traced the emerald-embedded ring hanging from his neck. He gripped the chain. Once, these hands had created explosions, had struck down enemies. Now… they trembled.
**"When I first held this ring, the war had just ended. I don’t remember whose blood was on me—yours or mine. But that card… that card was in my hand. All Might’s face. The hero card we used to trade as kids… But the real hero was you, damn it."**
His eyes burned. But no tears fell. Katsuki had long forgotten how to cry. Yet inside… he was shattered.
**"I don’t remember when I last said ‘I’m sorry’ to you. Maybe I never did. Because I… I always pushed you away. Kept you at a distance. I was afraid. Afraid of losing you, of letting myself need you. Because I… because I loved you, damn it."**
He took a breath. His chest ached.
**"Wars ended, cities fell, people died. But the real loss was mine. Because I lost you. Since that day, no victory, no title of ‘hero’ has meant anything."**
He clenched the ring.
**"But… I still can’t believe you’re gone. Dreams, riddles, symbols—maybe they sound like nonsense to everyone else. But I… I hear something screaming inside me. A voice. Your voice. Like you’re saying, ‘Kacchan, don’t leave me behind.’"**
He rested his forehead against the gravestone. Closed his eyes.
**"That time when we were kids, playing by the pond… when I slipped, you reached out your hand. That’s how this feels now. But this time, I can’t get up. I feel you reaching for me, but this grave… this grave is too heavy."**
A deep exhale. His palms pressed against the stone.
**"If… if you’re out there somewhere, Izuku… if you’re still breathing… please… just give me a sign. Just once more. I’d tear the world apart to find you. Because I can’t take it anymore. If this is reality, then I’ll shatter it. If this world swallowed you, I’ll rip it open and pull you out. Because…"**
His voice cracked. Lips trembling, he whispered:
**"Because I… still love you. Always have."**
And that night, as three broken souls knelt before the gravestone, the weight of the past pressing down on them, their fractured love, loss, and hope echoed in the silence. The name "Midoriya" lingered in the air like a prayer.
---
### **THE DREAM BEGINS**
Soft light filtered through the window. The air was nostalgic… familiar… peaceful. The U.A. dorms. Izuku’s room. But everything was too quiet, too dusty, too… frozen in time.
Katsuki, Todoroki, and Kirishima stood at the door, dressed in their old school uniforms. The door was slightly ajar. From inside, a familiar voice murmured:
**"Time is not just flowing water… It is the tears we remember."**
They stepped inside. The room was empty. But something was wrong—every item was perfectly preserved. All Might’s notebook on the desk, Izuku’s green jacket on the bed… and on the wall, his old dream board.
As they approached it, three small notes appeared—each seemingly meant for them.
#### **For Todoroki:**
A note hidden behind the board, with a tiny ice-patterned engraving:
**"Fire was never your chains, but your heart’s call.
Do not seek answers where emotions freeze—
Look where they melt and flow."**
Todoroki reached out. A memory flashed—Izuku screaming at him during the Sports Festival:
**"THIS IS YOUR POWER, NOT HIS! WHY DO YOU KEEP REJECTING IT?!"**
His hands shook. The memory faded, but the burning in his chest remained.
#### **For Katsuki:**
On the desk, the All Might notebook lay open. Inside, the emerald ring—his ring—was tucked between the pages. A note beside it:
**"Do not forget who you fought for.
Who you failed to say ‘come back’ to.
Your strength was torn in the shadows of your heart."**
Katsuki picked up the ring. A deep crack echoed inside him—like the day everything broke.
#### **For Kirishima:**
A worn headband, tied to Izuku’s bedpost. Kirishima touched it—and time lurched. A memory surfaced:
Izuku and Iida falling from the sky.
Kirishima leaping to catch them.
Izuku, bloodied but smiling:
**"Whoever you lift, lifts you in return.
Being manly means carrying everyone’s tears."**
Kirishima clenched the headband.
The three turned to each other—but the dream unraveled. The room dissolved into darkness. A final whisper echoed:
**"There is still one window you haven’t looked through.
The ladder to truth is found only with the heart."**
---
### **RETURN TO REALITY**
Dawn’s light crept over the graveyard as the three awoke, gasping. Each still felt the warmth of what they’d held in the dream.
And now, a new question lingered:
**"Which window?"**
As they stirred, the cemetery’s atmosphere shifted. A cold wind carried a voice from the shadows—a figure emerged, face hidden.
**Mysterious Man (mocking, sharp):**
*"Ground Zero, the No. 1 hero… but is your power real? Or just a shining lie?
Red Riot, No. 6… How long can you last with that fragile heart beneath your shell?
Shoto Todoroki, child of fire and ice… The past never dies. It chains you, shapes you."*
He tossed a photograph. It landed at their feet.
In it: Kirishima, Todoroki, Katsuki, and Izuku—smiling, young, untouched by loss.
**Mysterious Man:**
*"Look at those faces… the reflection of what you lost.
But the truth isn’t in the smiles.
The shadows of the forgotten still haunt you.
And the riddle remains unsolved."*
A whisper rose from the photo—Izuku’s voice:
*"The chains that bind us… are the doors to freedom.
Find the right door… and the truth begins."*
The man vanished into the dark, leaving one last taunt:
*"Time is running out, Ground Zero.
And you’re still asleep."*
---
### **THE RIDDLE**
> *"Born in shadow, shining on stage, yet vanishing in light.
> The woman whom even the so-called heroes bow to.
> She wrote the past’s decisions, she hides the future’s secrets.
> If you seek the darkness, ask the last one who ascended the throne."*
As the voice faded, the three exchanged glances. Anger and curiosity burned within them.
The hunt for the truth had only just begun.
Chapter 10: Three Doors, One Fate: In the Shadows of One For All)*
Summary:
After Izuku Midoriya's disappearance, Katsuki, Todoroki, and Kirishima grapple with grief and tangled secrets. Haunted by their pasts and the corruption of hero society, they encounter cryptic messages from Izuku in their dreams:
Chapter Text
The shelter was silent. Outside, the world still turned in its chaotic rhythm, but for the three heroes who stepped inside, time had slowed to a crawl. Katsuki, Todoroki, and Kirishima were lost in the whirlpool of their thoughts, weighed down by the pile of riddles and the symbols they carried.
Katsuki’s fingers clenched involuntarily as he stared at the emerald-embedded ring. That ring wasn’t just an accessory—it was a reflection of the burden he had carried for so long. *“This… is more complicated than I thought,”* he admitted, his voice raw, as if confessing for the first time even to himself. *“Midoriya’s loss isn’t just ours—it’s this society’s deepest wound. Every step we take just leads to more questions, more secrets… It’s like we’re losing ourselves as much as we’ve lost him.”*
Todoroki’s gaze grew distant as he turned the bracelet in his hands. *“The Commission… their plans are unfolding right in front of us. But are we still just pawns? Even after digging this deep, they still refuse to show us the truth.”* His breath grew heavy, the weight pressing down on his shoulders. *“Our families, our pasts, our futures… they’re all just pieces in this filthy game.”*
Kirishima rubbed his headband gently, looking more exhausted than ever. *“Sometimes I wonder… if we’re just alone in this. These riddles, these traces, the shadows of the past… We’ve been handed the threads, but the knots at the end aren’t ours to untie. We need someone walking the same path, someone we can rely on…”*
The three exchanged glances, silently reading the meaning behind each other’s words. Katsuki lifted his head, his expression hard but resolute. *“I know—Hawks. He’s our only chance. The only one who can amplify this rebellion.”*
Todoroki gave a slight nod. *“But pulling Hawks into this is risky. He’s got just as much to lose as we do.”*
Kirishima took a deep breath, his voice weary but firm. *“What we need most right now… is rest. Our minds are clouded, our emotions are scattered. Tomorrow… we’ll start stronger. We’ll figure it out.”*
Silence fell over them. Their bodies ached with exhaustion, their hearts heavy—but the spark of hope inside them hadn’t gone out. Each of them knew: to find their way through this darkness, to reclaim what they’d lost, they had to keep fighting.
As the three heroes dispersed to their rooms, they were left alone once more with their inner turmoil.
---
### **Katsuki’s Inner Monologue**
*“Deku… Wherever you are now, are you happy? Can you hear me? Are you watching? I couldn’t protect you… No matter how much I screamed, no matter how hard I fought, it wasn’t enough. I always wanted to be strong, always wanted to win… But what does any of that mean in the face of this loss? This ring… this weight chained to me… I’ve been carrying it all this time. Because my feelings for you, this love… it’s the one thing in this world that won’t let me forget you. But sometimes I wonder… what if I fall too? What if these chains strangle me? But I won’t give up. Because you, me—we can’t get lost in this reality. I have to dig deeper, face this darkness head-on. Or else… I’ll lose you forever.”*
---
### **Todoroki’s Inner Monologue**
*“My father… My past, my burden, my fire and ice… They’re all links in the same chain, binding me. But the real weight is the Commission’s shadow—the rot in hero society. Endeavor’s sins didn’t just shackle our family—they’ve imprisoned our entire future. Midoriya’s loss is proof of this corrupt system. No matter how strong I become, no matter how fiercely I burn, I can’t escape this burden. That voice inside me still whispers: ‘Change it. Tear it down. Rebuild.’ But how? We’re alone. To solve this riddle, I have to keep moving forward. That bracelet… the promise I made… I can’t forget. I just… miss him so much. His faith, his love—it still burns in my chest like a spark of hope.”*
---
### **Kirishima’s Inner Monologue**
*“This headband… It might look like just a simple thing, but it holds memories. Those days, those smiles, those bonds… They’re all hidden in these photos, in these puzzle pieces. But I know—we’re not alone. There are other heroes like us, fallen and battered. I’m not just some lost kid anymore. I have friends. I have a reason to fight. But I’m still tired. Still scared. With every step, the darkness I’m chasing threatens to swallow me whole. I have to hold onto Midoriya’s light. His voice echoes in my ears: ‘It’s not that you’re fragile—the strength is in you.’ This headband reminds me of that power. I won’t give up. We have to keep moving.”*
Katsuki Bakugo, Kirishima Eijiro, and Todoroki Shoto had reached a point where they could no longer escape the truth. Each of them had secrets and pasts they needed to confront…
---
### **The Dream: In the Void of All For One, At the Heart of One For All**
When Katsuki opened his eyes, he found himself in an endless black expanse. The only thing beneath him was an invisible surface—yet he didn’t fall. The air was still, time frozen.
Then, slowly, nine great silhouettes began to glow. The vestiges of One For All’s users, seated on their thrones… their heads bowed, as if waiting for something.
A voice echoed from the depths—muffled, indistinct, yet familiar.
*“You… have been a guest of this power. But now, you are its host. Return, Katsuki Bakugo.”*
With those words, a figure emerged from the black mist—Yoichi. In his hand was an old chain, a fragment of the shackles that once bound him.
**Yoichi:**
*“This power… was once just for protection. Then it became resistance. And now… it seeks to merge with the justice within you. But one of us is missing… still lost. And his voice echoes here.”*
Then, waves of energy—the essence of One For All—formed a dimly glowing figure: Izuku Midoriya.
But this Deku wasn’t smiling. His face was weary, his gaze distant.
**Izuku:**
*“This isn’t goodbye, Kacchan. It’s… a request for help. A riddle only you can hear. Maybe this isn’t a journey… maybe it’s a remembering.”*
He stepped forward, stopping right in front of Katsuki. His heart clenched, his mouth dry—but he stayed silent, listening.
---
### **Izuku’s Whisper:**
*“Where the first lie is spoken, truth is born.*
*When the chain’s first link broke, I was still there.*
*To hear my voice, you must pass through the shadows.*
*Three doors… one to the past, one to pain, one to me.*
*Whichever you choose… each will bring you back to me.”*
At that moment, Yoichi spoke again—but his eyes were fixed beyond the void.
**Yoichi:**
*“There is another here. Silent, but always listening. Always watching. You, me… him.”*
The dream trembled. Between the waves stood a figure Katsuki knew all too well—All Might.
Invisible, yet his presence was undeniable. Katsuki closed his eyes, remembering the moment All Might’s hand had once rested on his back. Here, in the dream, it wasn’t his weakened form—just his symbol, a colossal shadow offering silent support.
Katsuki stepped forward.
**Katsuki (inner voice):**
*“I’d give anything to talk to you one last time. But this isn’t just a dream… it’s a call. And you’re calling me, Deku.”*
Then, the dream shuddered. The walls didn’t crack—because there were no walls. But the light fractured. And an image appeared:
A room. Dark. Dusty. On its wall—three doors.
One bore an old U.A. symbol. Another, the Hero Commission’s logo. The third had only a scratch—the emblem from one of Izuku’s notebooks.
Yoichi whispered one last time:
*“Whichever you start with… in the end, we will meet again.”*
When Katsuki opened his eyes, his hands were shaking. But his soul… was silent. Only one thought echoed in his mind:
*“I only used this power once before. Now… if I have to burn everything to hear his voice again, I will.”*
---
### **The Dream: A Scream in the Silence**
When Todoroki opened his eyes, he found himself in a familiar yet dark room. A hospital room—but not real.
Only silence surrounded him—so thick it hurt his ears. He touched his throat—just like that day.
He couldn’t speak. But voices echoed around him, all from the past:
*“He’s our brother—we can’t do this to Shoto!”*
*“How could we not realize… how could we not recognize our own son?”*
*“How could you burn your own brother… your own child, Enji?”*
*“He can’t speak… his vocal cords are damaged. For now, he must stay silent.”*
The voices swirled. But Todoroki could only breathe in the silence.
Then, the hospital door opened. And the one who entered—
Izuku.
But this wasn’t a memory. When their eyes met, Todoroki understood:
This was a connection. A truth bleeding through the dream.
**Izuku (whispering):**
*“There’s so much I need to tell you. But first… you must remember what you need to hear.”*
He held out a notebook. As the pages turned, words began writing themselves—words from Todoroki’s past… and his inner voice:
*“When I lost my voice, the world kept talking.”*
*“When I burned, people froze. When I froze, my father cried.”*
*“But I still… still want to be fair.”*
Izuku’s gaze locked onto him. There was no pain in his eyes—just understanding.
*“The past silenced you, Shoto. But now, I’m giving you a choice.”*
The dream shifted. Just like Katsuki’s, three doors appeared:
One—U.A.’s gate, but bound in chains.
Another—the Commission’s symbol, cracked and crumbling.
The third—just like Katsuki’s—a page from Izuku’s notebook, a single handwritten word:
***“Believe.”***
But Todoroki couldn’t move forward. A crushing weight pressed down on his shoulders.
The dream dragged him into battle—a battle from his past.
---
### **Flashback Within the Dream: The Fight With His Brother**
Smoke and flames rose before his eyes. Touya.
His face was burned, but his eyes were alive. They clashed—a brutal, breathless fight.
**Touya (screaming):**
*“You protected his dream, not us! You became his puppet, SHOTOOO! That man’s! That bastard’s!”*
Shoto couldn’t answer. His throat burned.
The words were inside him, but they couldn’t escape.
Then, Enji Todoroki appeared—bent over, writhing. Tears streamed from his eyes.
His words were silent, but his lips moved:
*“I… couldn’t protect you.”*
*“I’m sorry… for everything. Fuyumi… I’m sorry I couldn’t be a good father. Thank you for keeping our family together despite everything. Natsu… I’m sorry for pushing you away. Touya… I’m sorry I never came to Sekoto Peak. And Shoto… I’m sorry…”*
As the dream began to fade, Todoroki fell to his knees. His hands pressed against the ground, his back trembling.
A shadow approached him—Izuku again.
**Izuku (whispering):**
*“I won’t give you your voice back. You’ll just choose a door. But remember—behind the door you choose, your voice is waiting.”*
And the dream dissolved.
Todoroki woke up—gasping, his hands damp with sweat. But his eyes… were determined.
He looked just as Katsuki had.
This wasn’t just about fighting anymore.
To hear Izuku, he had to reclaim his own voice.
---
### **Eijiro’s Dream – The Silent Shelter of the Crimson Riot**
When Eijiro closed his eyes, he felt himself drifting in time’s soft but heavy hands.
Childhood…
That small, brave, yet fragile boy was there again.
He felt insecure, inadequate. His fists clenched, his body stiffening as if to protect itself—but the weight inside only grew heavier.
*“I’m not strong enough,”* his heart whispered, too weak even for himself to hear.
Then, a crimson shadow emerged from the dark.
Silent, resolute footsteps approached.
Crimson Riot—that legendary hero, Eijiro’s childhood idol.
He sat beside him wordlessly, his eyes offering support, his heart lending strength even without words:
*“The determination inside you is your toughest armor. Strength isn’t just in muscles—it’s in the heart.”*
As Eijiro felt the weight of those words on his shoulders, another voice rose from the dream’s shadows—soft, familiar, yet profound.
*“Eijiro…”*
The voice warmed him like an embracing wind.
Eijiro looked up, seeing a shimmering light in the dark.
There, beside him, stood Izuku Midoriya.
His eyes held the pain of the past and the hope of the future.
**Izuku (whispering):**
*“The moments we feel weakest are our greatest battles.”*
*“My strength, combined with your resolve, becomes something greater.”*
A child appeared, sitting in front of a TV—on the screen, Katsuki in peril.
Izuku, quirkless, fought to save him.
Eijiro’s heart shuddered, a tear slipping free.
*“True strength is the ability to protect.”*
*“The courage hidden in weakness is the greatest heroism.”*
*“My strength, merged with your resolve, isn’t just a shield—it’s a fortress.”*
Then, three doors slowly materialized.
Each held the pain of the past, the dark secrets, the uncertainty of the future.
Izuku’s voice echoed one last time:
*“This is only the beginning. We’ll overcome it together.”*
The doors were like keys to the unknown, each hiding a different path, a different fate.
The first door—a mirror of a painful past, holding truths that needed facing.
The second door—the burden of the present, the shadows of friendships and betrayals.
The third door—the uncertainty of the future, where hope and fear intertwined.
Izuku’s voice whispered, as if revealing the secrets behind the doors:
*“These doors aren’t just physical—they’re the locks on our hearts. Opening each means facing our fears. But remember, true strength lies in battling the darkness within.”*
When Eijiro opened his eyes, the fog of the dream had lifted. The weight inside him had lightened, replaced by a firm, unshakable faith.
His hardness was no longer just a shield—it was a symbol of hope and solidarity.
---
### **The Main Hall – A Heavy Decision**
The air in the main hall was thick and silent. Dim lights flickered over the scattered symbols and photos on the table. Katsuki, Todoroki, and Eijiro sat apart yet bound by the storms raging inside them. Exhaustion, despair, and fear warred on their faces—but deep down, a fragile yet unbroken hope remained.
Katsuki slammed his fists on the table, his voice sharp in the quiet:
*“These damn riddles… these cursed secrets… The deeper we dig, the heavier the weight becomes. In Izuku’s absence… everything feels meaningless. But still, somewhere inside me, I feel like he’s still here. He has to be our light in this hell.”*
Todoroki shoved his hands in his pockets, his eyes dull but his mind a tempest:
*“The doors… They lead to different paths, but each one ends in another darkness. Facing my past… reopening myself—it’s tearing me apart. My father’s shadow still looms over me, the things we’ve lost… the painful truths spoken… Without Izuku’s faith, none of it means anything.”*
Eijiro’s voice trembled as he fiddled with his headband:
*“I… I remember Crimson Riot’s words. His silent strength, his courage… Izuku’s whispered riddles feel like keys to move forward. But they’re also a burden. Every door we open brings more darkness. I’m scared… really scared.”*
Katsuki stared at the ring, its emerald glinting faintly:
*“This ring… this emerald chained to me… It still tells me he’s out there. Izuku didn’t just vanish. He’s still with us… somehow. But how much of these clues are real? Or is this just another lie, twisting the knife in our wounds?”*
Todoroki took a deep breath, gripping his bracelet:
*“The chains of the past… They’ve held me captive for so long. I have to let go. Or else I’ll drown in my own darkness. Izuku’s face is burned into my mind. His hopeful gaze… It’s the only thing keeping us standing.”*
Eijiro whispered, almost to himself:
*“We’re not alone. We’re all carrying this weight, but we have to solve it together. Izuku’s memory is our bond. No matter how much it hurts, that bond will carry us forward.”*
Katsuki’s hardened expression softened—just for a moment. A silent confession:
*“I… love him so much. This fight is for him, for his memory. I don’t want to lose him. And I know… he wouldn’t abandon us either.”*
As Todoroki and Eijiro watched him, the silence between them deepened. Each was fighting their own battle, yet they carried the same pain, the same responsibility.
The symbols on the table—the rings, the photos—all held more meaning than ever before. The riddles to solve, the answers they sought, and the fragile yet unbreakable hope in their hearts… It was all that bound them together against the encroaching dark.
Katsuki, Todoroki, and Eijiro sat around the table, examining the riddles and symbols once more. Three doors… Three mysterious doors… Each seemed to lead to a different fate. But which was real, and which was a trap?
Katsuki, his face set in its usual scowl, spoke first:
*“These three doors… They’re the kind of riddles that drive you insane. Each one carries a different weight. But which one leads to Izuku—or to the truth?”*
Todoroki placed his hands on the table, steady and thoughtful:
*“The doors aren’t just symbols. They connect to the past, the future—maybe even reality itself. The doors we’ve been shown hold secrets we don’t understand yet. Each could represent a different path. But we have to choose.”*
Eijiro, staring at his headband, added:
*“For me, these doors… they’re like turning points in our lives. Each one is a different choice, a different destiny. But choosing the right one… and doing it together.”*
Katsuki’s eyes darkened:
*“I get it… This isn’t just a crossroads. It’s going to decide this war, what we’ve lost, what we can still gain. Izuku’s clues brought us this far, but now it’s time to decide.”*
Todoroki’s voice hardened:
*“And let’s not forget—if we pick the wrong door, things could get even darker. But the right one… might just pull us out of this.”*
Eijiro, hopeful, continued:
*“Izuku left us these riddles, the ring, the bracelet, the headband… Maybe they’re hints about which door to open. But it’s up to us to figure it out.”*
After a brief silence, Katsuki added:
*“We can’t wait any longer. One of these doors holds Izuku’s secret. Maybe even the thing keeping him alive… But we have to choose right.”*
---
### **Katsuki’s Resolve**
As Katsuki stared at the riddles and symbols on the table, a voice echoed in his mind—Izuku’s voice. As if he were there, calm yet firm, whispering:
*“Kacchan… No matter which door you choose, you’ll find the truth in the end. Don’t be afraid—you won’t stray from the right path. Sometimes, our choices just lead us where we need to learn.”*
The words sent a shiver through Katsuki. The storm in his heart eased slightly, replaced by a complicated but hopeful feeling.
An inner battle raged:
*“What if I’m wrong? What if the door I pick leads us deeper into the dark? Could Izuku really be right? Maybe this is fate’s game… But something inside me says this journey, this fight, has to end. These secrets have to be uncovered. And I… I should have been by his side. I will be.”*
Todoroki and Eijiro’s eyes were on him. They, too, were wrestling with their own conflicts.
And Izuku’s words, like a thread of destiny, illuminated their path:
*“Finding the truth isn’t just about choosing the door—it’s about moving forward. We have to stand together, face our fears.”*
Katsuki took a deep breath, steeling himself. Exhaustion, fear, uncertainty—they were all there. But the love burning inside him kept him standing.
*“Izuku… For you, I won’t stop until this war is over.”*
---
### **The Final Step – Seeking Hawks**
Katsuki, Todoroki, and Kirishima, weighed down by the riddles, the rings, the bracelets, and the photos, finally set out to reach Hawks. Each of them battled their own storms, carrying the burden of all that had happened.
Chapter 11: Words That Bloom From Ashes
Summary:
*"Heroes are trapped in the darkness of erased pasts. The Commission has stolen memories, silenced screams, and hidden photographs to obscure the truth. Katsuki grapples with why he forgot Izuku's final words; Shoto struggles to recall his brother Touya's love; and Hawks questions why he carries this burden. The Fallen Hero's riddles lead them to the Commission's underground archives—but the answers demand a price. Remembering can be as searing as fire beneath ice."*
Chapter Text
### **Chapter: "Between Feathers and Fog"**
**Location: Hawks’ Secret Hideout – The Ruined Outskirts of Tokyo**
Katsuki, Todoroki, and Kirishima stepped into the dimly lit underground bunker, the weight of dreams and riddles still heavy on their shoulders. Hawks stood before them, his usual smirk in place, but his eyes betrayed a flicker of concern.
> **Hawks** (calm, yet subtly uneasy):
> *"How many sleepless nights are buried under those eyes, kids? Or should I still call you 'heroes'?"*
Katsuki didn’t answer. Kirishima lowered his gaze slightly. Todoroki cut straight to the point.
> **Todoroki**:
> *"You’re helping us… but why? Your past with the Commission is shrouded in darkness. And you and Touya-nii… you have a history from childhood. What does all this mean?"*
The playful glint in Hawks’ eyes faded. He sighed deeply before speaking.
> **Hawks** (eyes fixed on an old map on the floor):
> *"Touya… was a wound on my back. I couldn’t save him… but I never forgot his last words. He told me something, Shoto. ‘Protect him—my little brother. Protect Shoto. Because his eyes still seek true justice.’ When I first heard that, I laughed. Now? I just stay silent."*
Katsuki clenched his fists. Kirishima took a sharp breath. In the silence, the echoes of their dreams resurfaced.
> **Katsuki**:
> *"What about the Commission? What do you know? The riddles keep leading us back to them."*
> **Hawks**:
> *"They’re grave diggers, burying secrets. I crawled out of that graveyard. Files, records, covered-up deaths… If you’re really determined to go there, know this: They’ll stare into your eyes. And you might even forget who you are."*
---
### **"Ash, Feathers, and Silence"**
**Location: Leaving Hawks’ Hideout – The Edge of the City Ruins**
The sky was gray, the air thick with tension. Katsuki’s expression remained hardened, his mind racing with dreams, riddles, and Hawks’ words.
Todoroki was lost in thought, his head slightly bowed. Hawks’ confession echoed in his mind:
> *"Touya entrusted you to me..."*
Kirishima was silent but alert, scanning their surroundings as he tightened the bandage on his arm. They had learned the hard way that silence could be just as threatening as words.
The moment they stepped into the streets, smoke engulfed them. A deafening explosion shattered the air.
> **"BOOM!"**
The blast left their ears ringing. Reflexively, they took defensive stances. Visibility was zero. Their comms fizzed into static. The wind carried the stench of scorched asphalt. Then—
Figures clad in chains and masks lunged from the darkness. Silent. Lethal. The Commission’s shadow operatives. Each one was trained, ruthless, and moved with a singular purpose.
Katsuki swung his arms wide, clearing the area with a series of explosions.
> *"Damn it, you think we’re weak?! Bring it on!"*
Todoroki raised an ice dome, then shattered it with a burst of fire.
> *"No more hiding."*
Kirishima stepped forward, tanking every blow before knocking one out with a hardened fist.
> *"This… is our fight!"*
The battle lasted ten minutes—brutal, swift, and laced with suspicion. When the last attacker collapsed, their breaths were ragged, hearts pounding.
From the shadows emerged a familiar silhouette, footsteps deliberate. His coat fluttered in the wind as he held an old scroll and a faded photograph. He smirked—cold, mocking.
> **The Fallen Hero** (voice low and heavy):
> *"Congratulations. You’ve entered the league of mortals now. There are ears listening, eyes watching. But remember… No matter how strong heroes are, the system first elevates them… then strangles them."*
He tossed a paper to the ground. It fluttered to Todoroki’s feet.
> **Riddle (written on parchment):**
> *"When the highest forgets the lowest, the fall begins.
> One who once soared the skies fell burning to the earth.
> Now, the ashes hide even memory.
> Descend into the quietest room of the past—there, the ones who never wept were silenced."*
As Todoroki picked it up, the Fallen Hero pulled out another photograph—yellowed, edges curled. He flicked it toward them. It landed face-up in the wind.
Shoto’s eyes welled up. Katsuki and Kirishima stood frozen.
The photo showed:
**Touya Todoroki**, smiling.
In his arms, a baby—**Shoto**, barely months old.
Behind them, a young boy with red wings—**Hawks**—rested his hands on their shoulders.
They sat in a flower garden, as if celebrating a day long forgotten.
> **Todoroki** (whispering):
> *"I… don’t remember this."*
The Fallen Hero spoke again.
> *"Your memories were stolen, Shoto Todoroki. But not just yours.
> This whole system… sees those who remember as threats.
> Now, the cards are being reshuffled."*
Dust still hung in the air. The city had gone silent after the attack. The three heroes stared at the photo, their hands trembling. The Fallen Hero gazed at the sky before breaking the silence once more.
> **Fallen Hero**:
> *"To remember is this system’s greatest sin.
> The Commission doesn’t just silence enemies…
> They steal the voices of those you love."*
Todoroki’s fingers shook. He looked at the photo again, then whispered:
> **Shoto**:
> *"Why don’t I remember? I was never in a garden with him. Hawks… Touya… Did they really love me? Why did they take this from me?"*
The Fallen Hero pulled out another note—yellowed, edges blackened. He held it out.
> *"Read it."*
Katsuki took it and unfolded the paper. Inside was a short, piercing riddle:
> **Riddle**:
> *"In a world where no one remembers who’s a hero or a victim…
> The most dangerous ones are those who remember everything.
> Memories aren’t just burdens…
> They’re witnesses to silenced revolutions."*
Katsuki’s eyes narrowed. His chest tightened. A sentence echoed in his mind:
*"HE’S NOT DEAD! CAN YOU HEAR ME?!"*
Suddenly, his own voice roared in his ears.
That day at the statue.
The day Izuku died.
When the crowd fell silent, only his scream had cut through.
But… he had never remembered that moment. Not until recently, when he’d heard a recording.
How was that possible?
> **Katsuki** (to himself, whispering):
> *"That moment… why did I forget? It was the most important day of my life. A day I should’ve never forgotten.
> But I couldn’t remember… until now."*
The Fallen Hero turned his gaze to Katsuki. His voice was no longer mocking—almost mournful.
> *"It’s not just Todoroki… You were silenced too.
> You screamed at that statue, tore your heart out.
> The Commission didn’t just break you physically—they broke your mind.
> The fact that you’d find Izuku… that was their greatest fear.
> Because if you found him, they knew the system would collapse."*
Katsuki shut his eyes. His fists clenched. His heart pounded like a child’s shattered cry.
That day… he hadn’t just lost Izuku. He’d lost himself.
The Fallen Hero turned to Todoroki next. He studied him before speaking.
> *"Those who erased Touya from your mind wanted you to see him only as a monster.
> But he… loved you.
> He protected you.
> They didn’t want you to know.
> Because the truth would make you the system’s greatest destroyer."*
Shoto’s eyes brimmed with tears. A silent scream from the child still trapped inside him escaped as a whisper:
> *"I… was his little brother."*
The Fallen Hero bowed his head. As shadows swallowed his face, he spoke one last time:
> *"Endeavor… in this system, he wasn’t just a father. He was a contractor.
> His hands shaped not just his children—but the state itself.
> Everything forgotten will become the foundation of your revolution.
> But you still have a choice to make."*
He nudged a map fragment with his foot. A marked location glowed:
**"The Commission’s Underground Archives."**
> *"Go there.
> The truth is buried.
> But remember: Memory doesn’t just heal… it shatters, too."*
The Fallen Hero fell silent. The three stood breathless under the weight of the photo, the note, the riddles. But then, with a single step, he shattered the quiet once more. Before vanishing into the shadows, he paused and turned to Katsuki. His gaze was neither hostile nor friendly—just knowing.
> **Fallen Hero**:
> *"You remember something… but not fully.
> Memories aren’t easily stolen, Katsuki Bakugou.
> Sometimes, they’re screams you stifled with your own hands."*
Katsuki’s eyes widened.
His veins throbbed.
His breath hitched.
A single phrase echoed in his mind.
One he hadn’t even realized he’d muttered in his sleep.
> *"Always remember, Kacchan."*
*"No matter what… always remember."*
Izuku’s face flashed before him.
Bruised.
Hopeless.
But… unbroken.
It had been a plea.
Not on a battlefield, but somewhere deeper—somewhere so personal he could no longer tell dream from reality.
> **Katsuki** (whispering):
> *"He said it… to me.
> ‘Always remember.’
> But why do I only recall it now?
> Why didn’t I hear it then?"*
The Fallen Hero didn’t turn to Kirishima, but his voice carried a final weight:
> *"Because some calls only echo in the heart of ruin.
> He never left you.
> The system just drowned him out.
> A scream, no matter how loud… if suppressed, only echoes when remembered."*
Todoroki stood frozen.
He wasn’t looking at the photo anymore—but into his own mind.
Into Touya’s eyes… determined never to forget them again.
And then, as the Fallen Hero turned to leave, he uttered one last thing:
> *"Always remember… It’s not just words.
> It’s a key left for you.
> When Izuku whispered it, he was still alive.
> So tell me… why are you only hearing it now?"*
Katsuki sank to his knees.
He wanted to scream, but he had no strength left.
Todoroki placed a hand on his shoulder.
Kirishima simply knelt beside him.
And in that moment… the Fallen Hero didn’t vanish into shadows.
He walked away slowly, still visible—leaving behind an echo:
> *"The answer starts not with what you remember…
> but why you forgot."*
---
### **"Silence Beneath the Flame"**
**Location: Todoroki Shoto’s Mind – A Descent Into the Past**
When he closed his eyes, he saw that night.
The walls were cold. The ceiling light flickered. But Enji Todoroki’s voice—the controlled fury—still rang in his ears.
> **Enji**:
> *"Get up. You’ll never grow stronger like this!
> No time for weakness. No excuses!"*
Shoto’s hands trembled. His small body had collapsed. His stomach churned.
His back was bruised. The blow to his ribs had knocked the air from his lungs. He gagged, then vomited again. His vision swam.
Touya stood in the doorway. His voice was ice, but his eyes burned.
> **Touya**:
> *"Enough… This isn’t training. It’s torture."*
Enji turned, his rage familiar.
> **Enji**:
> *"This doesn’t concern you, Touya. Move."*
But Touya didn’t.
> **Touya**:
> *"You… you’re no hero.
> Do you want to kill your own son?
> Shatter a child for your own dreams?"*
A pause. Silence.
Then—not words, but fists.
Touya took Enji’s punch head-on. Tears welled, but he didn’t step back.
When Enji stormed out, only the echo of his footsteps remained.
Touya knelt slowly. He looked at Shoto—still trembling on the ground. His eyes were wet, but his voice was soft.
And then…
Touya gathered him into his arms.
Held him close.
Pressed his forehead against Shoto’s hair.
> **Touya** (whispering):
> *"You won’t end up like me…
> Or him.
> You’ll find your own path, Shoto.
> You’ll be a true hero."*
Shoto began to cry. Silently.
But Touya wiped his tears with scarred fingers.
> **Touya**:
> *"Shh. Just listen…"*
Then, he hummed.
A lullaby.
One they’d sung together as children.
A melody only they knew.
In the dark, in the fear, it was a tiny light.
> 🎵 *"One day, the wind will fade, the flames turn to ash…
> The little bird flies, wounds heal…"* 🎵
Shoto closed his eyes.
Years later, when he remembered this moment, he collapsed.
His hands clutched his head.
His heart threatened to tear through his chest.
A knot had finally unraveled.
Tears he’d suppressed for years spilled over.
> **Shoto** (whispering):
> *"Big brother… I… forgot you.
> They… made me forget."*
And the scream that tore from his chest shattered years of silence.
Chapter 12: I Wrote Your Name in the Stars(When Fire Whispers, Ice Remembers)
Chapter Text
A Secret Written in Flame, a Fate Sealed in Ice...**
*"A red bird flies, the sky falls silent..."*
🎵 *"One wing burns in embers, the other frozen in ice."*
🎵 *"I wrote your name in the stars, even if our father forgot."*
🎵 *"Our home was a garden of glass, inside it bloomed a blue flower."*
🎵
*Though I cannot touch you,*
*I wrap you in my voice each night.*
*If your skin trembles one day,*
*Remember me in silence.*
🎵 *"Everyone who touches that flower burns a little, freezes a little."*
🎵 *"The first snowflake you held in your hands... maybe it was our mother’s tear."*
🎵 *"When flame turns blue, even the monster was afraid."*
🎵 *"I had no voice, but for you, I whispered in the dark."*
*As innocent as you.*
🎵
*Though I cannot touch you,*
*I wrap you in my voice each night.*
*If your skin trembles one day,*
*Remember me in silence.*
🎵 *"Don’t turn your back, even if snow falls on your shoulders."*
🎵 *"I’m still like someone who could never say your name... but I memorized it in my heart."*
🎵 *"The red bird flies again, but this time, watching over you."*
*The red bird flies,*
*Its wings scorched, wounded.*
*One wing is you, the other me…*
*In the dark, its wings embrace us.*
🎵 *"A blue flower hides in a child’s tear, still breathing between the walls."*
🎵 *"Fire and ice mixed one day—that day, one forgot, the other remembered..."*
*I wrote your name in the stars, my love,*
*So you could find it even when lost.*
*Even if you forget the fire,*
*Don’t forget me.*
🎵 *"If the red bird returns, and snow falls again, you’ll find the door."*
*And if you lose your way,*
*Just look to the sky.*
*If that red bird is there,*
*Then so am I...*
*I wrote your name in the stars...*
*When I fell silent, you spoke.*
*When you wept, I stayed quiet.*
*The red-winged bird*
*No longer flies alone.*
*One half wrapped in ice,*
*The other still burns.*
*But both are mine,*
*And you…*
*You are the part of me that remains.*
*I wrote your name in the stars,*
*Like a burned child’s prayer,*
*And I said:*
*"God, don’t make him like our father.*
*Make him a hero.*
*But first…*
*Let him stay my brother."*
*I wrote your name in the stars,*
*If the red bird returns,*
*It will tell you what’s real, what’s a lie...*
---
Shoto’s eyes are still empty.
But now, they don’t just see the void—they see a shattered sky.
The song echoes in his mind.
Every word…
His childhood, wrapped in the shadow of red wings.
> *"I wrote your name in the stars..."*
His lips don’t move, but his heart screams.
The moment Touya held him that night…
In that burning room, the scent of his brother’s red hair, his trembling hands…
Kirishima steps closer silently but doesn’t reach out.
Katsuki grits his teeth. His eyes aren’t filled with anger, but helpless worry.
> *"Say something, Shoto... Please…!"*
But Shoto doesn’t hear.
He doesn’t want to.
Only one word escapes his lips:
> *"Fire and ice mixed one day—that day, one forgot, the other remembered..."*
Then the song echoes again in his mind:
🎵
*The red-winged bird*
*No longer flies alone…*
🎵
His hands rest on his knees, his gaze frozen on the scattered papers on the table. His eyelids droop, his breath shallow. Kirishima asks something, but Shoto no longer hears.
In his ears… a voice echoes:
> *"Close your eyes, little brother...*
*When ice cracks, fire falls silent,*
*But I always told you,*
*If the red bird doesn’t return… the snow never falls again."*
As Touya’s melody lingers, Shoto’s hands begin to tremble. His eyes widen, but they stare into nothing. His lips part—but no sound comes. He’s crying. Silently.
Katsuki and Kirishima rush to him.
*"Shoto?"*
*"Are you okay? Hey—Shoto!"*
Katsuki hesitates. When he touches Shoto, a cold shiver runs through him.
Shoto’s voice finally comes. A whisper, but the words pierce deep:
> *"If the red bird doesn’t return…?"*
And in that moment—
Something inside him shifts.
A chain breaks.
All three realize it at once.
*"The red bird…"*
Their eyes meet. Silence gives way to understanding.
The red bird: Hawks.
The one Touya entrusted Shoto to, from his past.
The silent ally with wings, circling in the shadows.
Kirishima’s eyes widen. *"Touya… left Shoto with Hawks. He whispered it to us. That song—it wasn’t just a metaphor."*
Katsuki clenches his fist. *"Touya… used the song to point us to Hawks. The only one with red wings."*
Shoto’s eyes blur with tears. He takes a breath. Deep. Shaking. His lips still murmur, but now his eyes burn with clarity.
> *"I wrote your name in the stars,*
*If the red bird returns,*
*It will tell you what’s real, what’s a lie…"*
As the melody fades, Shoto squeezes his eyes shut, cradling his head in his hands.
For a moment, he remembers Touya’s hands.
The ones that held his face, touched his forehead.
The voice that said, *"You won’t be like our father."*
And now… Shoto understands.
Touya tried to protect him—with his voice, from their father.
The song was a call to Hawks.
And a warning.
*If the red bird doesn’t return… the snow never falls again.*
*"I... I understand now,"* Shoto says, voice quiet but steady.
Kirishima crouches beside him. *"He hid it in the song… Do you think Hawks will come back to us now?"*
Katsuki looks at Shoto. *"He has to. Or everything freezes over."*
---
**NIGHT • THE SILENT RETURN OF WOUNDED MINDS**
Silence… Cold, heavy silence settles over them. Shoto remains on his knees, hands gripping his head, unaware of when his tears stopped. Katsuki crouches before him, reaching out but unable to touch—his fingers twitch, then retreat. The words… the song… still echo in his ears.
Kirishima looks at Katsuki, eyes pleading for guidance. Katsuki doesn’t know either. *"We can’t leave him like this,"* he mutters through gritted teeth, but his voice holds no anger—only helplessness.
Kirishima steps forward decisively. He touches Shoto’s shoulder.
*"Shoto… let’s get you home."*
No response. Shoto’s eyes remain fixed on some distant point in the past. He can’t stand on his own.
Kirishima hesitates for only a second. Then, without another thought, he lifts him. Like a brother. Like carrying a wounded soul. Shoto’s head rests against his chest, cold skin meeting warmth. Katsuki moves ahead, scanning their surroundings protectively as they walk. They head back to the safehouse… but nothing is the same as when they left.
No one speaks the entire way.
Only footsteps. Only cold.
And at some point—while cradled in Kirishima’s arms—Shoto murmurs something so soft they think they imagined it.
But then he says it again:
> *"The red bird flies, defying the night…*
*I wrote your name in the stars, don’t forget…"*
Katsuki stiffens. He turns his head slowly.
Tears still trail down Shoto’s face. But he isn’t crying—this is the tears of remembrance.
> *"In the blue eyes of fire…*
*Ice falls into my hands…*
*A broken wing falls to the sky,*
*Who could forget you, my love…"*
Katsuki gently brushes Shoto’s hair.
*"You still hear him, don’t you?"* he whispers.
Shoto doesn’t answer. But he keeps murmuring… the song. A lullaby wrapped in loneliness. The silence is no longer silence—it’s the echo of the past.
And Katsuki feels something inside him break. This silent song… is opening another door. Maybe to the shadows of the past, maybe to the next truth.
When they reach the safehouse, time slows. The world’s noise stays outside—only their breaths, the muffled sound of wet shoes on hardwood, and the lingering melody of Shoto’s song in their ears…
Kirishima still carries him. Katsuki opens the door silently, leaving the curtains untouched. No lights turn on. Everything is dim, soft, fragile.
When they lay Shoto on the bed in one of the small rooms, they pull the blanket over him carefully. As they turn to leave, Shoto’s voice stops them—thin, childlike, on the verge of breaking:
*"Please… don’t go."*
Kirishima freezes. Katsuki’s jaw tightens, his eyes locking onto Shoto’s face.
*"I don’t… want to be alone."*
In that moment, hero titles, the weight of strength, past tragedies—none of it matters. Shoto is just a child. His face damp with sweat and tears, his gaze desperate… as if searching for lost trust in their presence.
Kirishima sits by the bed without hesitation. Katsuki kneels beside the headboard, hands clasped between his knees, head bowed. They don’t speak. They don’t need to.
The room falls silent again… but this silence isn’t frightening. It’s shelter. A safe emptiness.
Shoto stares at the ceiling, eyes half-lidded. Then his lips move—just like on the train. The same song, softer now:
> *"The red bird flies, defying the night…*
*I wrote your name in the stars…"*
His voice fades with each line.
> *"In hands where ice falls…*
*Blue fire dies, whispering…"*
A pause. His breath grows heavier. The last verse is almost sleep-slurred:
> *"Don’t forget me, if the red bird doesn’t come…*
*Only snowflakes remain…"*
Then silence.
His eyes grow heavy. Tears still seep between his lashes as his fingers clutch the blanket. His murmurs grow faint, then stop. He’s asleep… but the tension in his face lingers.
Kirishima exhales deeply, leaning back. Katsuki watches Shoto for a moment, then quietly tucks the blanket higher, wiping sweat from his brow. Then he sits on the floor beside the bed.
Soon, Kirishima’s breathing evens out. His eyes droop. Katsuki, too, slumps against the bedframe, surrendering to exhaustion.
In that room, three heroes… three children… bearers of different wounds, silent guardians of the same story. The song’s last line doesn’t echo aloud, but it lingers in all of them.
And the night begins whispering its secrets again…
---
**NIGHT • KATSUKI’S DREAM**
Sleep doesn’t take him. But his body gives in. His eyelids grow heavy. And then—
Darkness.
Dust.
The sharp scent of battle.
Wind howling like a scream.
Crushed stones underfoot… And before him: Izuku.
His eyes shine. But his body is half-transparent. Neither past nor present. A ghost outside time.
*"Kacchan."*
The voice hits him like a wave. Soft. Heavy with grief. A vow.
*"Three doors. One for you. One for him. One for all of us."*
Katsuki steps forward, but his feet don’t lift. As if chained. His knees shake.
*"Izuku…"*
*"Remember,"* Izuku says, clearer now. His gaze bores into Katsuki’s. *"What you shouted before the statue—who silenced you when they made you forget?"*
A whisper echoes:
> *"The one who set fire and ice against each other, who burned the bird’s wings… is still alive."*
Katsuki’s breath catches.
*"What do you mean?"*
Izuku steps closer. Their faces nearly touch. But he can’t reach him. Light passes through him.
*"Don’t let go of Shoto."*
*"No matter what… Even if he thinks he’s lost…"*
*"You remind him."*
*"Like I reminded you."*
One last whisper, darker:
> *"The man who blames himself… made you forget, Kacchan. They forgot the destruction you brought with your own hands. But you saw it. When you saw me…*
*Your knees were shaking. Remember?"*
The vision cracks. The ground collapses. Images flicker like broken film.
Izuku’s voice lingers: *"Remember! If you remember… you’ll find me."*
Then—
They’re there.
The battlefield after the war.
The sky is filthy.
The earth split open.
The air reeks of burnt flesh and gunpowder.
Everything is gray. Only one color is vivid: Izuku’s blood.
A clock ticks. *Tick… tock… tick… tock…* But the clock has fallen, its glass shattered.
It stopped at **9:41**. Time froze at that moment.
Katsuki is on his knees, forehead pressed against a broken rock. In his arms—Izuku. His eyes are open, but empty. His arms limp. His entire body drenched in red. Maybe still warm. Maybe…
*"No… no no NO!"*
Katsuki presses his hands to Izuku’s chest, as if he could restart his heart. He shakes him. But Izuku doesn’t respond.
*"I’M HERE! CAN YOU HEAR ME? PLEASE!"*
The distant wail of an ambulance grows louder, but the sounds are muffled.
Footsteps behind him. Voices:
*"Ground Zero! Step back!"*
*"We need to move fast, his pulse is dropping!"*
But Katsuki doesn’t hear.
Only the clock.
*Tick… tock… tick… tock…*
But the clock has stopped.
Time ended there.
His face presses into Izuku’s neck, forehead against his cheek.
And then—he breaks. Not silently. Shattering. Gasping.
*"I was… supposed to protect you. Save you…"*
Hands pull him back.
But he won’t let go. Clinging to Izuku’s arm, they pry him away.
*"HE’S NOT DEAD! CAN’T YOU HEAR ME?"*
*"I SAW HIM! HE WAS BREATHING!"*
He collapses. His eyes land on the clock. Still **9:41**.
A nurse’s voice:
*"He’s out! Pulse dropping, we need to move—"*
Darkness.
---
**REALITY • NIGHT**
*"IZUKUUUU!"*
Katsuki wakes screaming.
His throat burns. His chest caves inward. His shirt clings, soaked in sweat.
He can’t breathe. He squints around the room.
Kirishima and Shoto sleep in their beds. But something has disturbed them too. Kirishima sits up halfway, watching him with concern.
*"Katsuki?"*
But Katsuki can’t answer. He touches his face. His shoulders tremble.
The broken clock still lingers in his vision. The moment time stopped—and he’s still trapped there.
*"I… couldn’t go back,"* he whispers.
*"I couldn’t change that moment. And I’m still… there."*
Tears fall silently.
But Izuku’s voice still echoes inside him:
*"Remember, Kacchan. If you remember… you’ll find me."*
---
**NIGHT • 9:41 — RETURN TO THE TABLE**
Katsuki wakes drenched in sweat.
But this time, something is different.
The silence doesn’t suffocate him—it scratches at his ears like a summons.
Izuku’s voice still rings in his skull.
*"Don’t let go of Shoto."*
*"9:41… solve that moment."*
Katsuki takes a deep breath, sitting up. He shuts his eyes, shakes his head. Then stands.
A voice from the room:
*"Can’t sleep?"* Kirishima asks, groggy but alert.
Katsuki doesn’t answer. His eyes fix on the door to the main room.
*"We need to go back to the table."*
A pause. Then Shoto slowly rises. Dark circles under his eyes, gaze distant.
But he nods.
*"Yes… tonight is trying to tell us something."*
---
**AT THE TABLE: THE RIDDLES UNFOLD**
The table is a mess.
Notes from whispered lullabies, unknown symbols, old documents, sketches of three doors, scribbled papers, and the fallen hero’s photograph.
Shoto stares at the photo. Touya holding him as a baby… and in the background, the red bird—Hawks.
Katsuki pulls a crumpled paper from his pocket.
The riddle Izuku whispered to him in the dream. About Shoto.
> *"A memory frozen inside flame,*
*Remember when the snowflakes fall silent,*
*The voice silenced by our father’s strike,*
*Echoes in your brother’s whisper…"*
He sets it on the table.
Shoto inhales sharply. *"...Hawks,"* he says. *"The red-winged bird in the lullaby… it’s always been him."*
Kirishima: *"The lullaby… was a message. The ‘snow’—your mother. The ‘flame’—Touya. But the ‘name written in the stars’… is that a place?"*
Katsuki checks his watch. His pupils dilate.
**9:41.**
*"The clock showed that time… in the dream. When I thought Izuku… died."*
Shoto: *"That’s when everything broke for me too. When Father… nearly killed me. That moment. When Touya pulled me away…"*
His voice cracks.
Kirishima turns to the three doors drawn on the wall.
*"Three doors. You both saw them in your dreams… Izuku was whispering something, right?"*
Shoto: *"Yes…*
*One door was ice. Another burned.*
*The third… dark but covered in stars."*
His voice trembles. *"He whispered: ‘No matter which you choose, we’ll reach the same place.’"*
Katsuki narrows his eyes.
*"So… the door doesn’t matter."*
*"What matters is… each of us facing our past."*
Kirishima nods.
*"And the traces of that past are being hidden by someone still alive. Like the fallen hero said… ‘Sometimes forgetting the past takes you further from the truth.’"*
---
**THE KNOT OF THE MYSTERY**
The three fall silent around the table. The sound of a clock fills the room again.
*Tick… tock… 9:41.*
Katsuki:
*"Izuku was… trying to help us all along.*
*Not just physically. With symbols. Dreams. Feelings."*
Shoto closes his eyes.
*"Could the lullaby… be coordinates?"*
Kirishima:
*"Or… a key. Maybe that ‘starry door’ is in all our minds."*
Katsuki:
*"Then come morning… we know where to go."*
*"The past beneath the stars."*
---
**THE CALL OF SAKETO HILL**
Izuku’s riddle echoes in the room:
> *"A memory frozen inside flame,*
*Remember when the snowflakes fall silent,*
*The voice silenced by our father’s strike,*
*Echoes in your brother’s whisper…"*
Shoto’s head remains bowed. Kirishima holds his breath. Katsuki clenches his fists unconsciously.
Shoto murmurs:
*"I’ve… heard this before. Saketo Hill."*
Katsuki’s head snaps up.
*"Saketo Hill?"*
His voice is strained. *"That’s where… Touya—"*
Kirishima, whispering:
*"The first time he showed his blue flames… right?"*
Shoto’s gaze is distant, but a memory flares:
Enji Todoroki, back turned to a young boy—Touya—standing on the mountainside. The boy’s fists clenched, staring at a cluster of stars.
Shoto’s inner voice:
> *"I can shine too… If I burn hot enough, I’ll reach the starry night."*
Katsuki:
*"‘Remember when the snowflakes fall silent’… That could point to your childhood winters, Shoto."*
Shoto’s voice cracks:
*"When it snowed… Mom would cry silently. Touya watched me from the window. Once… he looked at the stars and whispered:*
*‘I wrote your name in the stars, Shoto… we’ll reach it together.’"*
Kirishima:
*"Izuku’s riddle isn’t just symbols. It’s a call. And we know the direction."*
Katsuki narrows his eyes:
*"Saketo Hill… if it’s not the answer, it’s another question. We’re going."*
---
**TRANSITION SCENE: JOURNEY TO SAKETO HILL**
A misty morning. The three set out in silence. The wind carries Izuku’s voice through the mountain pass:
> *"The voice silenced by our father’s strike,*
*Echoes in your brother’s whisper…"*
As they near Saketo Hill, nature itself seems to hold its breath. At the summit, the remnants of a tree scorched years ago by blue flames. And carved into its trunk:
> *"I will reach the starry night. I wrote your name there."*
Shoto falls to his knees.
Tracing the words with trembling fingers, tears fall.
Katsuki steps closer, whispering:
*"This… wasn’t his goodbye. It was his trail. He was always protecting you."*
Chapter 13: "Fragments of the Forgotten Flame"
Summary:
"The Flame, The Ice, and The Bird
Chapter Text
SHATTERED MIRRORS**
The underground labyrinth was dark. The walls were damp, and everything felt like thin sparks seeping through metallic cables. The three heroes—Katsuki, Shoto, and Kirishima—were now walking on the edge of reality. Before them lay the Memory Core, imprisoned within the armor of time—the last secret guarded by the Commission.
Katsuki clenched his fists as he approached the capsule.
Shoto’s eyes were distant. Kirishima’s breath caught in his throat.
Then, the screens flickered to life. Three projections rose from the capsule, spinning in the air like a distorted reality. But before the images could fully form—a deafening noise echoed.
The door exploded.
Inside stepped the Commission’s vice president. His attire was entirely black, his face concealed behind a mask. His voice was digitized, but beneath it lay suppressed rage.
> *"Did you come to steal a past that was meant to stay hidden?"*
With a signal, he motioned for the two agents behind him to advance.
But at that moment—
The Memory Core trembled.
The projections activated on their own.
The first image: Saketo Hill.
Touya, holding a young Shoto in his arms.
The sound of a bird chirping.
Touya’s whisper:
> *"The blue flame will return, Shoto. But when it does, no ice will be able to stop it."*
Shoto fell to his knees, his eyes welling up.
But the enemies were already attacking.
The vice president stretched his arms forward—whips of shadow lashed out. Katsuki immediately lunged forward, dispersing the first wave of strikes with an explosion.
> *"Snap the hell out of it, Todoroki!"* he roared.
Kirishima leaped, pinning one of the agents against the wall. But the real fight was with the masked figure. Every move was calculated. Every strike lethal.
Just then—the Memory Core cracked.
A second projection appeared: Katsuki, screaming as he punched a door.
> *"Don’t touch him! He’s mine...!"*
In the background, Izuku lay collapsed. Chains marked his skin, a silenced scream.
The third projection flashed:
Kirishima, holding a document. It read:
> *"ECHO PROTOCOL:
Subjects marked for deletion:
Midoriya Izuku, Bakugou Katsuki, Todoroki Shoto."*
But the battle intensified. The masked figure turned to Shoto.
A single strike sent him crashing to the ground, his ice shattering.
And in that moment—
The Fallen Hero appeared.
As if born from the shadows. In his hand, a twisted, slender blade.
Without a word, he sprinted—and hurled the blade straight into the core.
An explosion.
The Memory Core shattered.
Projections spiraled in the air.
Time fractured.
The entire room filled with echoes of the past.
Now reflected on the walls:
The snow of Saketo Hill.
The first birth of the blue flame.
Touya’s whispered words:
> *"When the red bird touches the blue fire,
the ice cracks.
But the mirrors also shatter—do you understand?"*
It was a riddle.
And at that very moment, the vice president lunged at Kirishima with his last strength.
But Kirishima, acting on instinct, raised his fist—the impact echoed as they both crashed to the ground.
Katsuki shielded Shoto. When Shoto stood, his eyes burned.
The Fallen Hero whispered without turning back:
> *"You asked for this. You dug up the past.
Then see it through to the end."*
He walked out the door. Leaving behind only a single word:
> *"If the red bird is with you… walk toward the starry night."*
The battle was over.
But now, the memories had returned.
Shattered, fragmented—but alive.
And before them all stood a single door: to end the *"ECHO Protocol."*
---
**TOWARD THE RED BIRD**
They left the memory center as if emerging from a pitch-black tunnel. Behind them lay the wreckage of the exploding core, the echoes of a ruined past. Ahead—a future even more tangled. Silence followed them like an invisible fourth companion.
Katsuki’s hands still trembled. He had tried to take the wheel, but Kirishima gently took the keys from him.
> *"Let me handle it, Katsuki. Get some rest."*
*"Piss off,"* Katsuki muttered weakly, but didn’t argue.
Now, the three of them rode in an old, rusted jeep, tearing through the asphalt all night. Beyond the window was a starless sky, yet one of them still struggled to decipher the path to the *"starry night."*
Shoto sat silently in the passenger seat. He stared outside, but his eyes were unfocused.
In the backseat, Katsuki leaned his head against the window, squinting. Izuku’s voice still echoed in his ears.
> *"Don’t… leave him alone…"*
*"Remember what you remembered…"*
*"The red bird… is watching you."*
The silence was finally broken by Kirishima’s voice.
> *"Do you think Hawks… really… whose side is he on? All those memories with Touya… Izuku’s name… the Commission… What is that bastard hiding from us?"*
Shoto closed his eyes. For a moment, his hands trembled involuntarily.
> *"If Hawks is still on our side,"* he said, *"he has to prove it. And the only one who could was Touya. But he’s gone now."*
Katsuki slowly lifted his head.
> *"No. Touya’s still here. Maybe not in body, but if this guy—the 'Fallen Hero'—set up this whole game, he’s still connected to Hawks. Maybe even… to Izuku."*
At that moment, Shoto flinched slightly. He touched his forehead. Kirishima glanced at him through the rearview mirror.
> *"What’s wrong?"*
*"Saketo Hill,"* Shoto said. *"That day… I wasn’t there with my father. I was with Touya. And someone else… Izuku… He was there."*
The car fell silent again—this time heavier, denser.
Kirishima lowered his head.
> *"At Saketo Hill… there wasn’t just blue fire. The red bird was there too."*
The road began to flatten. The sky was still dark, but in the distance, traces of dawn emerged from the eastern horizon. They would soon crest a hill—where a man with red wings, carrying the remnants of the past, would be waiting.
And this time, nothing would remain the same.
---
**CHAPTER: THE SAFEHOUSE ON SAKETO HILL**
The wind howled over the hill like an old song. Just like the day Touya’s flames first turned blue.
As the jeep’s tires skidded lightly over the dry grass, Katsuki hit the brakes. Ahead, a rusted metal door stood between black rocks—as if the earth itself had spat it out. This was Touya’s escape point.
*"This is it,"* Shoto whispered. *"Touya… this is where he first controlled his blue flames. Where he first ran from my father."*
Kirishima touched the corroded surface. *"A hero once turned this into a refuge… now it’s filled with unanswered questions."*
Katsuki leaned forward, examining the old keypad. Not digital—analog. Simple but clever.
Katsuki smirked—a bitter one.
*"Touya’s password would be simple… because no one forgets their past."*
**9-4-1.**
He pressed the keys. A *click.*
The door slowly creaked open.
---
**THE SAFEHOUSE: FACES FORGOTTEN ON THE WALLS**
The air inside was thick. The scent of dust, rust, and burnt wood mingled together. The floor was stone, the ceiling lined with thick steel plates. A generator flickered weakly, powering dim fluorescent lights.
In the corner, a table. On it, a photograph of three people:
Touya, his young face tired yet smiling as he held Shoto in his arms. Beside them, Hawks, grinning with a hand on Touya’s shoulder.
In the background, a burnt but familiar flower—blue flame lilies.
That flower… Endeavor had once given it to Rei for her birthday.
Shoto shuddered.
*"I don’t… remember this,"* he said.
*"They made sure you didn’t,"* Katsuki muttered. *"They made you forget."*
Suddenly, the projector turned on by itself. Its screeching hum echoed off the stone walls.
---
**RECORDING BEGINS: HAWKS’ VOICE**
> *"If this recording ever plays… it’s because I failed to protect these two."*
> *"Touya… burned himself to save me. That morning at Saketo, he told me: ‘If the ice melts, my father won’t be able to choose Shoto anymore.’"*
> *"His mission to me was clear. Protect Shoto. And then that kid—Izuku Midoriya—fell from the sky. He changed everything."*
Shoto stepped forward.
*"Izuku was here…?"*
Katsuki froze.
As if the voice of the past had poured ice water down his spine.
---
**HAWKS REVEALS HIMSELF**
Then, a rustling sound came from the door behind them. A silhouette, faint but unmistakable—those wide, tattered red wings.
Hawks.
His face was scruffy, his eyes ringed with dark circles. But he still stood tall.
*"You asked if Izuku was here?"* he said quietly.
Shoto recoiled, Katsuki instantly shifting into a defensive stance. But Hawks raised his hands. He was unarmed.
*"He was… but not in the way you think. He came here to hide something. I… just watched."*
Shoto’s voice trembled.
*"You… why didn’t you ever say anything?"*
*"Because no one believes a fallen hero, Todoroki. Because what Touya told me… was to protect you from your own future. The one who disrupted that plan… was Izuku. But even his plan couldn’t save his own life."*
Katsuki’s fist clenched.
*"What did Izuku know? Why did he stay silent?!"*
Hawks pulled something from the old desk drawer. A notebook. Its pages were aged, some burnt.
*"This is Touya’s journal. The answers are inside. But sometimes… it’s not answers that save us. It’s the questions."*
Then the projector activated again.
But this time—it was Izuku’s voice.
Cracked, weak, but firm:
> *"A memory frozen within the flame,
Remember when the snowflakes fall silent.
The voice silenced by your father’s strike,
Will echo in your brother’s whisper…"*
---
The air in the safehouse grew heavier. Hawks whispered without turning:
*"Piece them together. When the riddle is complete… the final door will open."*
---
**TOUYA’S JOURNAL: FROM THE ASHES OF BLUE FLAME**
**Page 1 – Handwritten:**
> *"If you’re reading this… then the ice has melted.
The red bird touched the blue. And now, everything will crack."*
Underlined were three letters:
**K – S – R**
Beneath it, a small note:
> *"Do not swallow the truth before decoding the cipher.
Look into the broken mirror. But beware… sometimes the cracks don’t show you—they show who broke you."*
---
**Page 2 – A Drawn Map (Unintelligible with current knowledge):**
The page was burnt. Only this was legible:
> *"The path to the starry night… begins neither in the sky nor the earth.
The refuge that carries the footsteps of the past will begin to speak."*
And in the corner, a date: **9.41**
Below it, written:
> *"Three doors. Three voices. But only one echo will lead you to the truth."*
---
**Page 3 – A List of Names (Erased, but a few readable):**
**Rei (?)**
**Natsuo (?)**
**H.K**
**M.D**
**I.M.**
Some names were crossed out, others circled. Katsuki noticed a small *wing* drawn beside **H.K.**
---
**Page 4 – Encoded Lines (Written in reverse alphabet – Atbash cipher):**
> *"Z YVIH GSV XLIRMT. NB DLIWV."*
(Katsuki realized: A simple Atbash cipher. Letters reversed.)
He decoded it:
> *"A BURN THE SECRET. MY WINGS."*
Kirishima read aloud:
> *"Burn the secret. My wings are with me."*
Beneath it, tiny ink stains formed a burning lily and a shattered ice mirror.
---
**Page 5 – The Final Riddle (Written in what looked like Izuku’s handwriting):**
> *"When the red bird touches the blue fire,
The ice cracks, but the mirrors shatter.
One of those mirrors is inside you.
Another is in your childhood.
The third is still hidden—erased by whoever made you forget."*
Beneath it, Izuku’s familiar scrawl:
> *"Kacchan… Shoto… once, we were all by the same pond.
Remember—not the moment I said ‘I’ll be a hero,’ but the moment you laughed.
Because the truth is hidden behind the smile in the pain."*
---
The safehouse was still cold and damp despite the pale daylight. The three heroes stepped inside, greeted by faint old writings and intricate symbols on the walls. Katsuki, holding Touya’s journal, read through the riddles while the others studied the hidden messages.
Shoto, scanning the walls with a small flashlight, muttered, *"These symbols match the riddles in Touya’s journal… But there’s something else here."* His voice was uneasy.
Kirishima traced a complex code carved into the wall. *"These aren’t simple marks. They’re like hidden patterns—visible only at certain angles."*
Katsuki’s eyes narrowed at a line in the journal:
*"One of the mirrors is within you. When you find the true reflection, the doors will open."*
Then—a faint *click* echoed from the floor. They turned sharply. A security mechanism had activated, lights flickering along the edges of the dark room.
Shoto tensed. *"An alarm! We’re not alone here!"*
Kirishima grabbed Katsuki’s shoulder. *"We move, but we solve the riddles first—or we won’t make it out alive."*
Katsuki’s gaze locked onto a mirror glinting in the dark. *"Maybe the secret hidden here… is inside the mirrors."*
Amid the chaos, they refocused—on the codes, the writings, the enigma within themselves. Because they knew: unless these secrets were unraveled, the true face of this war would never be revealed.
And the shadow of the Fallen Hero still loomed over them.
---
### **The Fallen Hero’s Guidance**
The Fallen Hero watched silently from the corner. The attackers were sloppy—amateurs who relied on brute force rather than subtlety. *"Ever since the Commission infiltrated, things have gotten messy,"* he thought, his brow furrowing. Exhaustion lined his face, but the fire inside him hadn’t died.
The three heroes were tense, on edge. As he observed them, he made a decision—it was time to step out of the shadows. To help.
*"This is just the beginning,"* he murmured. *"And I’m here because no one should walk this path alone."*
His footsteps were heavy but deliberate. When the heroes noticed him, surprise flickered across their faces, followed by wariness. But there was no time for debate.
*"The enemy isn’t just the ones you’re fighting,"* the Fallen Hero said, his voice deep and weary but firm. *"The Commission has darker plans. You’re only seeing the surface. The real enemy hides within us."*
Katsuki, Kirishima, and Shoto didn’t take their eyes off him. His words stirred the storm already raging in their minds. The Fallen Hero continued, pulling his hands from his pockets:
*"I’ll help you one more time. But this time, we fight not just with strength—but with wit. Riddles, secrets, betrayal… they’re all part of this war. And you won’t win unless you trust each other."*
The heroes exchanged glances, silently agreeing. This battle wasn’t just physical—it was a labyrinth of their own pasts, secrets, and fears. And the Fallen Hero had decided to be their guide.
*"Come,"* he said. *"It’s time to take the next step."*
---
### **The Final Riddles**
The Fallen Hero spoke again, his voice low and deliberate:
*"Remember, the light hidden in darkness flares brightest when least expected.
That light waits where you once thought it lost, behind the veil of shadows.
A caravan passed there once; only the wind carries its traces.
But that wind whispers to the right ears—listen carefully, and you’ll hear its echo even in the quietest melody."*
He paused, his gaze distant, then added:
*"Remember, the warmth of blue fire lingers even in the coldest ice.
Beneath the ice lie frozen memories—old riddles waiting to thaw."*
The heroes exchanged glances, trying to decipher his words. The mystery only deepened.
Then, the Fallen Hero spoke again:
*"Here are two riddles. Combine their answers, and you’ll glimpse a truth you couldn’t see before."*
**First Riddle:**
*"You see clearest when your eyes are shut,
The unspoken words become the loudest cry.
It carries neither sight nor speech,
Yet its absence is always felt."*
A brief pause, then the second:
**Second Riddle:**
*"One spreads poison without a sound,
Neither foe nor friend can be found.
It rots from within, breaks every chain,
Yet leaves no mark as it flees again."*
The heroes’ eyes locked, minds racing. The Fallen Hero then held up a small, worn object—a key.
*"And this,"* he said, *"is the symbol not of what was lost, but of what still carries its mark. You cannot move forward until you understand its meaning."*
Chapter 14: Echoes of a Poisoned Flame & Ashes of the Unspoken
Chapter Text
**Echoing in Silence**
While the heroes struggled with the riddles given to them, a far more dangerous gathering was taking place in an unknown darkness at the same hour.
The room was located in one of the deepest layers of the underground system.
Concrete walls, a rusted metal floor, and flickering white fluorescent lights whispered that time had forgotten to move here. The Commission’s secret unit, known as the Null Chamber, had been built not just to protect things—but to erase them.
As maps of war zones, hero location markers, and classified records scrolled across the screens lining the walls, *he* appeared. His silhouette was heavy, like darkness shaped by shadows. He had no name. To most, even his face was nothing but a rumor. But when this man spoke, the world knelt.
His fingers brushed against the terminal in front of him.
Izuku Midoriya’s profile appeared:
**Status: Deceased / Unconfirmed**
**Code: Aether Protocol**
**Access Class: High-Risk Information**
Without taking his eyes off the screens, he spoke:
> *"Blue flames... bring easy destruction. They are dazzling. But the system repairs itself.*
*The real threat is a child’s belief in justice.*
*Every breath that questions blind obedience...*
*That is why he is the most dangerous. A green spark."*
One of the advisors behind him hesitated before speaking:
> *"Sir, some remaining memory blocks have surfaced. The heroes may still access fragments of the system..."*
The man slowly turned, his voice heavy as a bullet:
> *"Then we will erase them with our own hands."*
Then he turned back to the terminal.
The image of Izuku on the screen was from his childhood—smiling in his UA uniform during a training exercise.
The man’s gaze hardened, but his lips twisted in something like pain:
> *"We erased you from the earth...*
*And from memory.*
*Yet your voice still echoes.*
*Even the silence speaks of you."*
In the background, a massive red system activated:
**Codename: Aether Collapse**
A timer appeared at the top of the screen:
**72 hours**
All remaining memory records will be erased.
The man gave a slight nod, murmuring to himself:
> *"Let them solve the riddles. Let them find the answers.*
*They will only be writing their own epitaphs."*
---
**Those Who Listen to Silence**
Time seemed frozen in the old shelter on the slope of Saketo Hill. The chill of the night had seeped into the graffiti on the walls, where the ghosts of Touya’s past still lingered. This place had once been where two fires—blue and red—burned together. Now, only the scent of ashes remained.
Katsuki clenched his fists as he stared at the words carved into the wall.
Beside him, Shoto was silent, while Kirishima carefully laid out the notebook they had found on the table.
Three pages. Three separate riddles.
Katsuki read the first one aloud:
> *"You see clearest when your eyes are closed,*
*Unspoken words become the loudest cries.*
*It carries neither appearance nor voice,*
*Yet its absence is always felt."*
Shoto lowered his head. There was an echo in these words—an absence he recognized.
> *"This... is Izuku’s absence,"* he murmured.
*"It’s everywhere. And yet nowhere."*
Kirishima leaned over the second riddle:
> *"One exists, spreading poison in silence,*
*Neither foe nor friend revealing itself.*
*It rots from within, shattering chains,*
*Yet leaves no trace, slipping away unheard."*
Katsuki bit his lip.
> *"Is this... the Commission?"*
*"Or... is there a traitor among us?"*
The words themselves felt like thorns in his throat.
Just then, Shoto opened an old cabinet beside the table.
Amid the dusty items inside, a green notebook emerged—written in what looked like Izuku’s handwriting.
With trembling hands, they opened it. Inside was a short but searing sentence:
> *"The mirrors you do not see are the most dangerous."*
Beneath it was a single item:
A small, broken All Might badge—one that had once been pinned to Izuku’s jacket.
Katsuki held his breath. When he touched the badge, a faint echo seemed to vibrate at his fingertips.
For a moment, the sound of the wind ceased, and everything in the room grew heavy.
Shoto turned back to the passage about mirrors and whispered:
> *"The mirrors aren’t about one person... maybe they’re about all of us.*
*Maybe we... looked at each other and saw nothing."*
Kirishima stared at the notebook:
> *"But someone is still leaving things behind for us...*
*This badge... as quiet as Izuku’s life, but as strong as his defiance."*
At that moment, a faded sentence on the upper part of the wall became visible:
> *"He still watches from the shadows.*
*If you do not see, you will lose."*
Katsuki stood up.
> *"These aren’t just riddles...*
*This is a path.*
*And we will follow it to the end—to the root of this rotten system."*
---
**The Silence of Poison**
The shelter... held no breath.
The walls were damp, the air thick with a loneliness even time feared to touch. Everything was old, yet still bore marks.
This place, once believed to be a hiding spot for hope...
now resembled a cellar where thoughts had decayed.
In the darkness, a shadow moved.
Slow. Careful.
Each step brushed against the rusted wire mesh on the floor, producing faint creaks, but the shadow did not stop.
A cloak, weathered by time’s pale hands, draped over its frame.
Torn at the shoulder, stained with blood at the knee.
Yet it walked.
As its eyes scanned the dark, the broken light of a lantern revealed only a glimmer:
Emerald-green eyes.
But that glimmer was no longer the bright spark of childish admiration—
it was the color of shattered justice, laced with venom.
It approached the wall.
With each echoing step, the decaying walls began to whisper:
> *"Justice...*
*hope...*
*betrayed."*
Fingers traced over the rusted metal, feeling out a symbol:
Two circles—one cracked, one hollow.
Then it whispered—perhaps to itself, perhaps to someone:
> *"When does a hero... truly fall?*
*When the world forgets them?*
*Or when they forget themselves?"*
It moved to the table.
An old map, a torn file, and... a pair of child’s gloves.
Faded, threads unraveling, edges still stained with blue paint.
The shadow placed something beside them:
A small, burned notebook page.
Then it read a sentence written on the wall:
> *"Blue flames may return.*
*But when they do... no ice can hold them."*
The emerald eyes flashed once more.
But in that glimmer was no hope—
only the shadow of a reckoning.
It turned away.
The cloak dragged behind as it vanished into the dark.
All that remained was an old, unforgotten scent:
Burnt time.
Forgotten vows.
And the sound of a heart still beating.
And the stars, as if unwilling to witness what had happened, turned their backs on the sky.
Darkness spread like a shroud over the forest.
The wind did not stir.
But that night, two footsteps came from different directions at once.
One was silent, holding even its breath.
The other...
Its steps were soft, but the ground beneath briefly smelled of scorched earth.
When the shadows merged, it was not words that spoke first—but gazes.
One stared at the dirt beneath its fingertips—
finding a trail of burning footprints in the dust and ash.
The other leaned against tree bark.
As shadows enveloped it, its eyes burned—but not green, rather like emerald-blackened poison.
As if the world had betrayed it, and it had begun to deny the world in return.
The silent one spoke first.
> *"Poison spreads quietly... yet you leave sparks wherever you walk."*
The other did not turn its head.
Only whispered:
> *"A body turned to ash has no voice.*
*But if you know you still burn... you cannot stay silent."*
A moment of stillness.
Only an owl’s cry pierced the night.
Then... a riddle-like, incomprehensible yet aching phrase:
> *"Justice is not always born from light.*
*Sometimes it grows from a curse in the shadows."*
The emerald-eyed one clenched its fists.
Nails dug into its palms.
> *"Which of us do you think inherited that curse?"*
The blue-flame eyes turned for the first time.
> *"Which of us died first?*
*Which of us is still alive?"*
At last, the wind began to blow.
Both shadows parted slightly.
One’s robe fluttered like a silent farewell.
The other’s venomous emerald eyes trembled like a broken mirror. It bowed its head. Lips moved.
> *"Blue flames...*
*can return if they choose.*
*But green eyes must first burn the past."*
Without another word, they parted.
They vanished into the same darkness.
But one walked away with blue,
The other with a silent green.
---
**Beneath Saketo Hill – The Shelter’s Depths**
The air in the stone-carved room was heavy. The dim glow of an old oil lamp cast fractured shadows across the three heroes’ faces. Symbols once carved into the walls but now faded with time, ciphered sentences on yellowed notebook pages... Everything loomed over them like ghosts of the past.
Katsuki gritted his teeth, eyes locked on the page in his hand.
> *"You see clearest when your eyes are closed,*
*Unspoken words become the loudest cries.*
*It carries neither appearance nor voice,*
*Yet its absence is always felt."*
*"This isn’t a ghost..."* he growled. *"This is... someone alive but unseen. Hiding right in front of us."*
Shoto rubbed his forehead. *"Like someone who... leaves a mark not by presence, but by absence. Like a scream. Silent, yet inside everything."*
Kirishima ran his finger along the edge of the page, where ink had smudged. Beneath it was a tiny mark—a single letter, as small as a pinprick.
A **'Z'**.
But he didn’t voice it.
Not yet.
As suffocating silence settled between them, a pair of eyes watched from a dark corner of the shelter.
A fallen hero.
Bent, but unbroken.
They, too, knew—these riddles weren’t just for meaning.
They were for awakening.
In their mind echoed a voice from years past.
> *"The only light in the darkness becomes hell for those who do not know true justice."*
*"And the eyes of justice... no longer shine emerald, but with poison."*
Their eyes narrowed.
*Eyes that shine with poison...*
*Blue flames that blaze...*
That vow of silence.
And now these two entities had become something else entirely.
---
**The Shadows in the Mirror**
The air in the shelter was thick. Dust, rust, and the scent of forgotten history mingled in the cold. This place hadn’t just been abandoned—it had been *willed* into oblivion.
The three heroes had retreated to different corners of the dark, cold floor. They did not speak. Some silences were too sacred to break with words. This was one of them.
**Katsuki**
Katsuki knelt before a cracked mirror, his own reflection splintered in the broken glass. But in one shard, he saw his childhood self—tiny hands clutching a fallen notebook. Behind him, the smile of a green-haired boy faded into nothing.
His eyes froze. The scream he had choked down years ago clawed its way back up his throat.
*"Why... didn’t I run back then?"*
His fist tightened. He pressed it against the jagged edge of the mirror. A small cut formed, but he felt no pain.
*"I should’ve run. Should’ve held on. Shouldn’t have let go."*
A voice echoed in his mind—not his own, yet familiar:
*"Your leaving was my erasure."*
Katsuki looked up. In the void beyond the mirror, a shadow still lingered. The silhouette was so familiar that even speaking its name was terrifying.
Because to name it was to admit it was gone.
**Shoto**
Shoto stared at the notebook, but the words had lost meaning. As his fingers traced the lines, his eyes caught on one word:
*"Silence."*
He took a deep breath. Silence had always meant screaming to him—the years in his father’s house, the fury burning in Touya’s eyes, his mother’s quiet collapse.
*"I..."* he whispered, barely audible. *"I couldn’t protect them. Not Touya, not my mother... not even—"*
He stopped. He couldn’t bring himself to finish. Because even *thinking* the last name was too much.
He looked at the mirror. Behind the glass, a scene unfolded. Touya—not as he remembered him in rage, but as an older brother brushing a hand through his hair. And between them, another figure. The face was unclear. But the eyes... emerald. Glowing even in the dark.
*"You were there too, weren’t you?"*
Something ached deep in his chest. Like a forgotten touch.
**Kirishima**
Kirishima crouched by the wall, brushing dust off an old engraving. Faded letters, worn symbols.
*A chain. An eye. A flame.*
*"I’ve... seen this before,"* he muttered, swallowing hard. *"But... where?"*
A memory flashed—a mission, a building in the background with one of these symbols. He hadn’t paid attention then. Just a glimpse. But now... now it was all coming together.
*"They’ve been preparing for years."*
He leaned back against the wall, throat tight. *"What did I miss?"* he asked himself. *"Izuku... were you trying to tell us? And we just didn’t see?"*
Just then, dust trickled from the ceiling. A small stone fell. A panel in the wall cracked, revealing a dried parchment behind it. A single sentence was written:
*"When your eyes fail, remember with your heart."*
---
**A Step in the Silence**
At that moment, the fallen hero watched silently from the shadows. Their eyes held not exhaustion from the past, but something else—a hope that was broken, yet still burning.
*"They still don’t know. They still can’t piece it together. But maybe... maybe this time, they will."*
Chapter 15: Echoes in the Ashes & "Silent Fire, Poisoned Truth
Chapter Text
Echoes Rising in the Silence**
The shelter was utterly silent. Only the faint sound of wind brushing against the walls and the occasional whisper of notebook pages turning could be heard.
Katsuki slowly flipped the corner of the page he was holding. The pages were filled with notes, maps, sketches, and unknown alphabets scribbled years ago. But some lines had been deliberately scratched out, others erased beyond recovery.
Shoto ran his fingers over the indented ink on the pages and murmured:
> "Some sentences are crossed out, erased. As if... someone wanted to both reveal and hide them."
Kirishima leaned back.
> "Is this all Touya’s handwriting? Or did someone else touch this notebook?"
As he spoke, his eyes caught on a line:
*"If you don’t see something, you’re not looking. If you look, you lose."*
Katsuki repeated the line under his breath. His throat tightened as his eyes remained fixed on the page.
The words felt familiar, as if someone had whispered them to him long ago.
But who?
Shoto pressed his fingers against the page. The ink seemed to seep beneath his nails.
Beside one note was a symbol—three interlocking circles.
Below it, written in a cryptic script, was a riddle:
✦ **Riddle 1:**
*"You see clearest when eyes are shut,*
*Unspoken words become the loudest cry.*
*It carries neither face nor voice,*
*Yet its absence is always felt."*
---
As Shoto read the lines aloud, the echoes of the words seemed to seep into the air around them.
Katsuki bowed his head, silent for a long time. He wasn’t staring at the words—but at the person who had written them.
In the silence behind the writing, a ghost lingered—one whose name they didn’t dare speak.
> "This... feels like it belongs to someone. But there’s no name," Katsuki said.
*"Someone whose absence screams louder than their voice ever did."*
Kirishima slowly shook his head.
> "It’s... him, isn’t it?"
He didn’t say the name. But the same name pulsed in their hearts.
*Izuku.*
The moment they thought it, a page in the notebook flipped open on its own.
A small object slipped out from an envelope—a worn-out keychain.
On it, faded letters read:
*"U.A. DORM A101"*
Katsuki clenched the keychain in his palm. His fingers trembled.
> "This was... his room."
Suddenly, the air in the shelter shifted.
A yellowish light reflected from above, revealing new writing on the notebook’s pages.
---
✦ **Riddle 2:**
*"One spreads poison without a sound,*
*Neither foe nor friend can be found.*
*It rots from within, breaks every chain,*
*Yet leaves no mark as it slips away."*
Shoto straightened up this time.
> "Poison... This isn’t about a person. It could be about an idea. A system."
*"Or... the doubt festering inside us."*
Kirishima stayed silent.
> "Or... someone still among us, but not as they once were. Spreading poison in silence."
His eyes flicked to Katsuki, then to Shoto.
*"Do we even trust each other anymore?"*
Just then—
A shadow emerged behind them.
Silent. Motionless. Its presence made even the walls seem to hold their breath.
*The Fallen Hero.*
He stood in the darkness, existing without a step.
> "Good... you solved the first two. But this is only the beginning."
His voice echoed.
> "This notebook would be worthless if it only carried wisdom. But the heart that carried it still beats. And you’re still blind to it."
*"If you’re ready... it’s time for the third riddle."*
From within the shadows, he dragged his hand across the wall.
Ink-like writing appeared:
✦ **Riddle 3:**
*"Poison lies not in blood, but in words,*
*A mirror shows not you, but what was stolen.*
*To face the truth, open not your eyes—but your memory,*
*For the truth lies where forgetting began."*
---
The air inside the shelter grew heavier by the second. Tucked into the corner of Touya’s notebook, beneath a carefully folded page, was a small metal chip—engraved with a single symbol: **"∞"**
When Katsuki turned the chip over, one of the inner walls vibrated faintly. A reflective surface slid open.
A mirror.
But it didn’t show a normal reflection. Shadows moved within it, swallowing screams like echoes.
As the mirror opened, old ink lines on the notebook’s edge glowed:
> *"A mirror shows not you, but what was stolen."*
Katsuki took the first step. The others followed without hesitation.
**"Forgotten Memories" – Reflections of the Mind**
The darkness swallowed them like black water. When they opened their eyes, each stood alone within their own mind.
**Katsuki:**
A memory—playing heroes by a pond in their childhood.
But something was different.
Izuku turned to him and spoke only one line:
> *"If I ever disappear, don’t look for me in the ruins... look in the quietest corner of your heart."*
The memory froze. A sharp pain stabbed Katsuki’s mind. *Why couldn’t he remember this?*
**Shoto:**
Sitting with Touya on Sekoto Peak. But there was a third figure—face blurred, yet emerald eyes burning with quiet fury.
Touya turned to them both and said:
> *"If the blue flame returns, another will seek refuge in its shadow this time."*
**Kirishima:**
An office. The lowest floor of the Commission building.
An overheard conversation:
> *"If that boy’s voice is heard again, it won’t just be the heroes who fall—the entire system will crumble. Silencing him doesn’t mean killing him... it means making him forgotten."*
The vision blurred. Kirishima tried to scream, but no sound came.
---
**"Return to Reality – The Commission’s Assault"**
The mind gate slammed shut. All three collapsed, gasping, bodies trembling.
But it was too late.
Outside the shelter, footsteps crackled. Electronic voices echoed:
> *"Capture them alive. The records are no longer just traces—they’re threats."*
The Commission’s special forces moved in.
The heroes braced for defense. But the exit was limited—this shelter was also a trap.
---
**"From the Shadow of the Fallen Hero"**
Just as all seemed lost, another door in the underground shelter burst open.
A silhouette emerged.
Tattered cloak. Cracked mask. A voice unchanged:
> *"Hiding won’t get you anywhere, idiots. But if we die... at least let it be on the right side."*
The Fallen Hero joined the fight—and activated a mechanism to halt the chaos.
The underground tunnels briefly opened, guiding the heroes to escape.
But before leaving, he left one last riddle:
> *"Those forged in poison can only be healed by poison.*
*But remember—sometimes the antidote is also betrayal."*
---
**Episode: Flashback – Council of Shadows**
The street had no name.
Not that it needed one—this was a gathering place for those who had already lost theirs. Faded posters clung to the walls, *"JUSTICE FOR ALL"* slogans half-scratched, half-stained like dried blood. The streetlights had long abandoned this place. Light existed only in dusty memories.
A rusted door groaned open.
First came a blue spark. Then the footsteps carrying it... Touya Todoroki’s presence heated the stones beneath his feet, the cold air cracking under his breath. The blue flame no longer died. It waited. Endured.
Next came a weary face hidden behind a mask. The Fallen Hero stepped forward, carrying an old notebook—its edges burned, pages torn, yet no line forgotten. These were not the steps of a faltering warrior, but of a mind still guiding from the shadows.
And last...
No name was spoken. None was needed. Emerald eyes no longer held a hero’s light—only the sharp edge of truth honed in darkness. There was no justice in that gaze. Only reckoning.
His words were few, but his calm carried the weight of a leader.
The three stood in silence. One of the posters caught Touya’s gaze—his blue eyes flaring like a lighter.
*"Pro Hero Endeavor."*
As the words burned to ash, Touya spoke:
> *"This street has no name. Just like us.*
*But when you leave it... no ice can stop the blue flame."*
The flickering fire cast shadows on the walls. The Fallen Hero leaned against an old pipe, glancing at the emerald-eyed man:
> *"How many more riddles will we leave?*
*The answers are rotting inside them."*
The man didn’t look up. But after a moment, he spoke softly—his voice gentle, his judgment absolute:
> *"Those who answer wrong rebuild the system.*
*They must ask the right question.*
*They’re not ready yet."*
Silence fell—until the rustle of an old file broke it. A scribbled page in the notebook opened to a single note:
> *"The light in those emerald eyes is no longer a warning.*
*It’s a verdict."*
Touya’s gaze flicked to a new riddle written in the margins. He spoke like a whisper, like an echo of the past:
> *"They’re tracing our steps.*
*If they find the last clue... even ice will burn."*
The emerald-eyed man flipped to another page. His voice was low—only the walls could hear:
> *"If mistakes aren’t remembered, they repeat.*
*If broken justice isn’t fixed, it rots.*
*If heroes fall... shadows rise."*
As the iron door closed again, only the suffocating breath of silence seeped outside.
But inside, the words that would overturn time and the system still echoed:
> *"This story isn’t just for those who were saved.*
*It’s also for those who were forgotten."*
---
**The Shelter’s Collapse**
By the time the alarms blared, the shelter’s air had shifted. The old corridors, where even shadows held their breath, now trembled. Rust dust rained from the ceiling, swirling under flickering lights, turning the underground labyrinth into a tomb.
Shoto was at the front. As he tried to navigate the narrow passage, the metallic footsteps behind them grew louder, his breathing ragged. *"They’ll swarm us soon,"* he said—but his last word was cut off by an explosion that shattered the shelter’s entrance. Chunks of gray stone tore through the ceiling, a blast of hot air surging inside.
*"SHOTO!"* Katsuki roared—but it was too late.
A piece of metal, dislodged from the collapsing beams, sliced into Shoto’s shoulder. The young hero staggered, a groan escaping him as he fell. Blood rapidly painted the gray floor.
Kirishima didn’t hesitate. His body hardened as he threw himself over Shoto, shielding him from a second impact. *"Not today, man! You don’t die here!"* he shouted. Katsuki was right behind him, face twisted in fury.
*"This was planned,"* he snarled. *"They meant to trap us here."*
The back wall split—the Hero Commission’s special unit. Six figures in armored masks, mechanized eyes, wielding vibration spears. They moved in oppressive silence, acting only on orders. And this order wasn’t capture—it was silencing.
*"WATCH OUT!"* Kirishima barked, spotting the light beams ricocheting off the walls.
Katsuki took position in a second. His palms flared, eyes sharp with rage and clarity. *"Get Shoto! I’ll hold them off!"*
Kirishima didn’t argue. He hauled the half-conscious Shoto onto his back, struggling through the smoke-filled corridor. *"This is insane!"*
Katsuki used explosions rhythmically—blasting walls, destabilizing the ground, disorienting with flashes. But there were too many.
A spear grazed his right shoulder. Another nearly struck his back—he twisted midair, redirecting it with a blast. But his breath grew heavy. He was running out of strength. He glanced back—Kirishima carrying Shoto.
*"GO!"* he shouted.
Then—a second tremor. Not from above this time. From below. The shelter was collapsing. Not by accident. By design.
Kirishima screamed: *"RUN! KATSUKI!"*
Katsuki turned, unleashing one last explosion to fill the space with smoke—cover for their escape. He sprinted after them, barely leaping into the shelter’s narrow exit tunnel before—
The blast tore the shelter apart. Only rubble remained.
---
Outside, the night wind struck their faces. The sky was pitch black, only a distant siren’s red light pulsing. Silence. Just Shoto’s bloody breaths, Katsuki’s clenched fists, and Kirishima’s muttered *"We’re alive... but at what cost?"*
Then—
A slip of paper fell from Katsuki’s pocket. The Fallen Hero’s last riddle:
> *"Only those who forget can remember.*
*When the mirror shatters, the true face is revealed.*
*You forgot him. Now it’s time to remember."*
Even in the wreckage, the weight of remembrance waited.
---
**Night. Dark streets stretched into an abandoned industrial zone. A derelict control building—roof caved in, but the basement intact. Their only refuge now.**
The wind howled. The stench of smoke and gunpowder still clung to them.
Kirishima carried Shoto, who had nearly lost consciousness. But his legs shook. *"He’s still breathing, but... he’s lost too much blood,"* he said hoarsely.
Katsuki paused, his hands still burning with phantom heat. His eyes locked onto the blood seeping from Shoto’s shoulder. His jaw tightened. *"Give him to me,"* he said quietly but firmly. *"I’ll carry him from here."*
Kirishima looked like he might protest—but their eyes met, and no words were needed. He carefully passed Shoto over. Katsuki’s grip on his wounded friend said everything.
They forced open the rusted basement door. Inside, only the hum of a weak generator and flickering fluorescent lights greeted them. A broken first-aid cabinet... dust and old papers littering the floor.
Katsuki didn’t set Shoto down. He laid him on a metal table against the wall, then immediately stripped his own top to inspect the wound. Kirishima silently found sterile gauze and bandages.
*"The shrapnel’s out, but the cut’s deep,"* Katsuki said, voice uncharacteristically soft. *"Might get a fever."*
Shoto’s eyes fluttered open then. A single word slipped from his trembling lips:
*"Izuku..."*
Katsuki’s hands froze.
Kirishima pressed a damp cloth to Shoto’s forehead. *"He’s delirious,"* he murmured.
Katsuki said nothing. But his gaze faltered.
For a while, no one spoke.
Only the wind.
Then Katsuki sank to the floor, back against the wall. His hair was matted with sweat, breath uneven. Kirishima sat beside him, hands clasped over his knees.
*"I wasn’t good enough,"* Katsuki said.
Kirishima turned his head. *"You’ve always given more than anyone. But sometimes... sometimes we can’t save everything."*
*"I lost someone once,"* Katsuki said, voice cracking. *"I won’t let it happen again."*
Shoto, still on the edge of consciousness, twitched his fingers slightly. Katsuki was at his side instantly, gripping his hand. *"Hey. Stay awake. Your turn’s not now."*
Shoto let out a weak laugh. *"Still giving orders... Katsuki..."*
For the first time in the shelter, warmth spread—a bond hidden beneath the pain.
Kirishima bowed his head. *"What now? The Fallen Hero’s riddle... we still haven’t solved it."*
Katsuki shut his eyes, still holding Shoto’s hand. *"We’ll figure it out tomorrow. But tonight... let’s just be quiet. For surviving."*
They were exhausted. Alone. But in that ruined shelter, for the first time, they didn’t feel like soldiers—just three old friends, backs against each other.
---
**Names Left in the Silence**
Time had shattered.
Shoto Todoroki fell into the deep, desolate embrace of sleep, his chest aching with a familiar pain. This wound wasn’t physical—it was in his soul. Behind his eyelids stretched not light, but silence as white as snow. No wind. No sound. Just white... and emptiness.
Then—snow crunched underfoot. Cold. But not the cold of winter. This was a chill seeping from within, like blood from the edge of a broken mirror.
*Sekoto Peak.* He knew this place.
But it felt ancient, like a memory from another time. The sky was ashen. Trees bent like dry bones. And in the distance, a frozen pond... holding the ghost of his childhood. Something waited for him there. He stepped forward, slowly.
A sound—no, a breath—came from behind. He turned.
A figure stood beside him. Its face was shadowed. No name was spoken, no voice heard. But a pair of hands reached for him. Those hands... were strangely familiar. Scarred but gentle. Strong but kind.
*"Your fire isn’t just your father’s legacy—it’s yours,"* the voice said. *"But that ice... the ice you keep inside... it freezes you a little more each day."*
Shoto’s knees buckled. Heat dripped onto his leg. A tear.
*"Who... who are you?"*
The figure from the shadows bent down. A hand rested on Shoto’s head—comforting. Oddly reassuring.
*"We once fought side by side,"* it said. *"But I had to leave who I was behind."*
Something inside Shoto broke. He slowly lifted his head—and met a pair of eyes. Emerald at first—then shifting. Like poisoned gemstones... gleaming but pained.
*"You..."* Shoto whispered. But the sentence died. The figure was already stepping back. Touya’s silhouette cut between them, his hair flickering like blue fire in Sekoto’s darkness. He turned his head slightly toward Shoto.
*"All flames return,"* Touya said. *"But some burn silently, unseen. And some children are buried alive before they ever die."*
The sky split.
A blue flame descended, melting the pond’s ice into steam. From the mist, the figure emerged again.
The same person. But now its back was turned.
Shoto took a step. *"Wait!"*
But the dream twisted, fractured, shattered.
Before vanishing, the figure left one last whisper:
*"I’m still here... but you might not recognize me."*
---
**Awakening**
Shoto’s eyes snapped open. He was drenched in sweat, breaths short and sharp. His chest heaved. His pupils still searched the darkness for that face.
Katsuki immediately knelt beside him. *"Hey—welcome back!"*
Kirishima reached over, worried. *"Easy. You’re safe."*
But Shoto’s gaze was distant. His lips moved, voice hollow:
*"I... remember his voice. He... didn’t abandon me."*
Katsuki’s eyes narrowed. *"What did you see?"*
Shoto stayed silent. Only their heartbeats filled the space. Then, almost to himself, he murmured:
*"Emerald eyes... but turned to poison. I couldn’t see his face... but I remember his hands. Once, he told me, ‘Your fire is your legacy.’"*
Katsuki’s expression hardened. He knew those hands. Those words. But he said nothing.
Kirishima just shook his head. *"Some dreams... feel too real."*
Shoto didn’t respond. But something inside him had shifted. A broken memory—had left its mark again.
And now, without even speaking a name... they all knew.
Something—or someone—was still out there.
Chapter 16: Burning Stars & Three Stones, Three Paths
Summary:
Please don't forget to leave a comment—your feedback on the story is very important to me!** I'm open to all kinds of criticism as long as it's not hateful. You can also ask me anything you're curious about regarding the story.
And please, keep reading! This is just the beginning—I try to post new chapters every day or every other day for those following my story. Love you all, and thank you for reading! >3
Chapter Text
The night was deep.
The shelter was quiet as usual behind its stone walls. In that cramped room illuminated by the warmth of the fire, Kirishima had dropped his head onto his knees, lost somewhere between sleep and exhaustion. Shoto's breaths were still steady but weak. The wounds beneath his bandages showed no sign of healing. And Katsuki—Katsuki wasn’t sleeping. He wasn’t sleeping because behind his eyelids was Izuku.
His eyes were fixed on a crack in the wall. In his hand, he clutched a crumpled piece of paper—torn, its edges singed. A few words, written in Izuku’s hand:
*"We may not be enough to save the world… but I will always love you."*
His breath hitched.
His throat tightened.
For a moment, he thought he was burning. Not inside—the world itself felt like it was on fire.
Then, he heard footsteps.
Light, firm.
A shadow emerged from the darkness, leaning against the doorframe.
The Fallen Hero.
To him, it was just another night. But in Katsuki’s eyes, this man was now just a silhouette—a ghost swaying like the pendulum of the past.
In a low voice, he spoke:
*"You’re thinking about him again. Like all of you… You can’t forget."*
Katsuki didn’t answer.
The man pulled something from his pocket.
A slip of paper, no larger than his palm. On it, just a few lines. A riddle.
*"The body vanishes, but the shadow remains.
If his voice has gone silent, why does his echo still whisper in the night?"*
The words seeped slowly into the room.
Katsuki didn’t move at first.
Then he realized he was trembling.
His pupils constricted. He looked at the paper, then at the man, then back at the paper.
And he snapped.
His nails dug into his palms as he lunged. Before the Fallen Hero could react, Katsuki grabbed him by the collar, slammed him against the wall. Dust scattered. The silence shattered.
*"ENOUGH!"*
His voice burst out like a strangled scream. Kirishima stirred but didn’t wake.
*"Why… why do you keep tarnishing his memory?!"*
*"Riddle after riddle! Whispers, symbols!*
*He’s dead! On the battlefield, in my arms! Do you even know what his body turned into?! YOU DON’T!"*
*"And you… all of you… you’re still trying to exploit him.*
*Even his memory isn’t left in peace. JUST LET HIM GO!"*
Tears streamed down his face.
They burst from his eyes, rolling silently down his cheeks. But his voice didn’t waver.
The Fallen Hero didn’t look away.
But for the first time, he stayed silent.
Katsuki slowly released his grip.
His fingers shook.
He was breathless.
He slumped against the wall, collapsing.
*"If he’s alive…*
*If there’s even a chance…*
*I’m begging you… tell me something real.*
*But if this is another lie,*
*then stop this madness.*
*I… I can’t put myself back together again."*
The raw pain in his voice was sharp enough to pierce through stone.
The Fallen Hero stepped closer.
He knelt on one knee.
And whispered only this:
*"The dead live in the past…*
*But some are buried waiting for the future.*
*Silence is sometimes survival.*
*And if a name hasn’t been forgotten,*
*perhaps it still echoes—*
*if the right ears choose to listen."*
Then, he slowly stood.
Behind him, Katsuki Bakugou remained—a boy reduced to ruins.
---
The shelter was silent, but not peaceful. Three shadows, fleeing the fires, had finally found a place to breathe. The dusty floor, the damp chill of the concrete, the old hero posters peeling from the walls—all remnants of a decayed hope.
Kirishima slept against the far wall, his back wounds still unhealed. His temples were damp with sweat, his breaths uneven. Shoto lay under a blanket, still unconscious. The burn on his forehead shifted from red to blue, as if trapped in a fever dream. His eyelids twitched, but he didn’t wake.
And Katsuki…
Katsuki sat in the corner, knees drawn to his chest. His fists were clenched so tight his nails bit into his palms. His eyes burned as he stared into the void, his mind trapped in hell.
The Fallen Hero stepped from the shadows. He held out a small notebook.
*"Another riddle,"* he said. *"But if the answer isn’t inside you, you won’t find it anywhere out there."*
Katsuki didn’t look up. He only spoke.
*"How many times do I have to tell you… I don’t want riddles."* His voice was low, ragged. *"I want the truth."*
*"The truth is sometimes too heavy. Especially for those not yet ready to carry it."*
At that moment… something inside him snapped.
Katsuki surged to his feet. His hands ignited but didn’t explode. He grabbed the Fallen Hero by the collar and slammed him into the wall again. The impact rattled the rusted metal sheet behind him.
*"I AM READY!"* he roared. His eyes blazed with pain and fury. *"Every time I ask, you give me riddles, half-truths, twisted words! IS IZUKU ALIVE OR NOT?!"*
The air in the room froze. Kirishima stirred but didn’t wake. Shoto’s lips parted, but no sound came.
The Fallen Hero met Katsuki’s gaze. Wiping blood from his lip, he spoke softly:
*"There was a child whose name is unspoken, but whose absence is never forgotten. He is the whisper in the wind… Sometimes, justice wears darkness as its cloak."*
Katsuki’s hands trembled. His fury bled into tears. *"What… does that mean?"*
*"It means… sometimes knowing whether someone lives or dies will only destroy you further."*
Katsuki’s eyes flooded. He leaned back against the wall and slid to the ground. His hands clutched his head. *"Enough,"* he choked out. *"If you can’t bring him back… at least stop defiling his memory."*
At that moment, Shoto’s breathing shifted. He was waking. Kirishima’s eyes fluttered open, still unfocused.
But in that small moment…
A single, fragile expression flickered across the Fallen Hero’s face—as if he knew everything. As if he still saw him.
And that shattered Katsuki even more.
---
Shoto was inside a dream. He could feel it. The sky was gray, the air dull. No sense of time, no direction. Just silence. Just suffocating stillness.
Then—not a sound, but a vibration. A sob.
He walked forward, his footsteps making no noise.
And he saw.
A child—no, a body that was no longer a child. Katsuki was on his knees, hands clawing into the dirt, shaking as he cried. His shoulders trembled, his breaths were ragged, his tears soaked the grass beneath him. Even like this, he was proud—fighting not to break. But he was broken.
Shoto approached without hurry, without panic. A familiar ache settled in his chest.
He knelt.
Placed his hands on Katsuki’s back.
At that touch, Katsuki flinched. But then—he recognized it.
He slumped into Shoto’s shoulder like a collapsing building.
The two of them stayed there, wordless in their shared ruin.
Then…
A wind passed over them.
And warmth.
Someone approached from behind Shoto.
No footsteps, but each step resonated in their hearts.
A pair of arms slowly wrapped around both of them.
Shoto turned his head.
But what he saw wasn’t clear.
His eyes…
They were emerald.
But those emeralds now gleamed with poison.
A silent, faded smile.
Skin pale as if untouched by sunlight, hands trembling but warm.
It was Izuku.
Or… an echo of him.
He held them both.
Three bodies—merged in the heart of a dream.
He said nothing…
Only a whisper remained.
*"They say the fire will return…*
*But stars…*
*They shine brightest when burning."*
Everything went dark.
The warmth vanished.
The sobs ceased.
Only the echo lingered.
---
### 🌠 Awakening
When Shoto opened his eyes, he thought he was still dreaming.
But he wasn’t.
Dim light… stone walls… the silence of the room…
For a moment, he couldn’t remember where he was.
But then he saw:
Katsuki was still on his knees, just like in the dream.
This was real.
He was crying.
Shoto couldn’t move at first. His eyes welled up.
Then, without a second thought, he pushed himself up.
Dragging his feet, his legs weak, he stumbled forward.
Without a word, guided only by his heart…
Without speaking, he knelt behind Katsuki and slowly wrapped his arms around him.
He hugged him.
And this time, it wasn’t a dream.
This time, their embrace was real.
And the echo of the dream still rang in his ears:
*"Stars… shine brightest when burning."*
---
### Chapter 18: *"Three Stones, Three Paths, Three Dreams"*
The abandoned subway street was dark, its walls etched with fading slogans, their meanings still standing strong in spirit. The Fallen Hero stood with his hands in his pockets, speaking only to his own thoughts. The cold air filled his lungs as his words echoed in the silence:
*"One day, the blue fire will return… And when it does, no ice will be able to stop it. But there is another power opposing that fire. A green gaze… That gaze will shatter all order. The justice of a single child will break the system."*
Footsteps approached from behind, interrupting his thoughts. A young man with a long shadow and careful movements drew near. Behind him, another figure followed—quiet steps, emerald eyes glinting faintly.
The two youths smiled slightly at the Fallen Hero’s words. The first one whispered mockingly:
*"A green gaze? Whose justice is that, I wonder? That child is still hiding, isn’t he? Unseen, yet creeping closer like a silent poison…"*
The other smirked and added:
*"And we… we’re all lost in the riddle. For example—*
*'I poison silently, I leave no trace.*
*Friend and foe alike break in the same place.*
*My name is unspoken, but my mark remains.'*
*Who am I?"*
The Fallen Hero narrowed his eyes, a faint smile on his lips. The meaning hidden behind these riddles weighed like a secret. They were all pieces of the future—a future no one could yet see.
He paused, breathing deeply, his gaze lingering in the dark alley. Then, almost to himself, he whispered:
*"So now… what should the next step be? Among these riddles, these clues… how do we find our way?"*
The young men beside him exchanged glances. Each felt the weight in his words. After a silence, they began to speak, their minds wandering through the darkness of the hints.
*"This city,"* one said, *"this society of heroes… is like a rotting fruit. Beneath the surface, there’s poison. Betrayal, fear, the lust for power… Everything is tangled, just like the riddles we can’t solve."*
The other added, *"How real were the heroes before us? Were they all just masks? Or did no one truly want to be a savior? Or… could they not?"*
The Fallen Hero lowered his head slightly, pulling his hands from his pockets and leaning against the wall. His eyes bore the marks of exhaustion and darkness.
*"And now, those children… Are they the last hope of this rot? Or the seeds of a new darkness?"*
They thought a while longer. Each pondered the meaning of heroism, how justice and betrayal were intertwined.
*"Clues and riddles,"* the Fallen Hero continued, *"only show us the path. But how reliable is that path? Our duty is to move forward, searching for light even in the dark."*
The young men looked at each other. Determination and confusion, hope and fear—all mixed in their eyes.
*"War is coming,"* one said. *"But this war won’t be won with strength alone. It will take wit and faith."*
The Fallen Hero took a deep breath and added quietly:
*"And we… how long can we last on this path?"*
His gaze fell on the droplets of water seeping from a rusted pipe. Under the dim streetlights, his fingers traced the outline of a snake graffiti, nearly lost in the dark. He paused there, thinking silently.
The shadow behind him stepped closer. A figure known for his fire, yet feared for his silence. Beside him, a pair of emerald eyes gleamed in the dark—quiet, but carrying meaning this time.
And then… the Fallen Hero spoke. As if addressing only the walls, only the night—but in truth, whispering to three children, to the sleeping stars, to the hope in the dark:
*"Three stones, three paths, three dreams. When one burns, the other two awaken. But only one sees the truth—the rest are lost in their own shadows."*
Then, the dark fell silent. His blue eyes dropped to the blackened skin on his fingertips.
And the Fallen Hero took one last look at the starless sky through the cracked ceiling. Then, he melted back into the shadows. The Voice of the Serpent was silent.
But the riddle lingered on the walls. Until three children… on another night… would hear it.
---
### *"Three Stones, Three Paths, Three Dreams"*
Silence spread heavily through the shelter.
Shoto slowly opened his eyes. For a moment, he was still in the dream—a soft yet sharp warmth lingering on his skin. What he had seen wasn’t just a memory, but an omen—a feeling, a voice, an embrace. Even now, he could feel Izuku’s warmth in his chest. His scent, the soft yet firm touch of his hands… And those words:
*"They say the fire will return…*
*But stars shine brightest when burning."*
His gaze shifted to Katsuki. He was still in the shelter, slumped in the corner, head bowed. His fingers still dug into the dirt as if trying to suppress the fire inside him—a fire that refused to die.
Kirishima leaned against the wall, eyes closed but awake—waiting for the right moment to speak. The echoes of the explosion still hung in the air. Katsuki’s outburst from the night before had seeped into the stone, still trembling faintly beneath their feet.
Shoto pushed himself up slightly. The bandage on his shoulder had loosened, but the pain was gone. In its place was something else—an emptiness, and a growing suspicion. Then, he noticed what was in Katsuki’s hands. A photograph—crumpled, faded with time, but still familiar. Three people. Him, Katsuki, and…
…that child.
A boy with emerald eyes, smiling, arms slung over their shoulders. Like the unseen bond holding them all together.
Shoto swallowed. Silently, he stood. The bandages slowed him, but his resolve steadied his steps. He approached Katsuki. And without a word, he knelt beside him. Gently, he wrapped an arm around his back and rested his head against his shoulder.
Katsuki didn’t move at first.
Then, the trembling in his fingers grew.
Shoto whispered:
*"We won’t leave you alone. No matter what… We’re still here."*
At that moment, something shifted in the shelter. The air was still heavy, but one of them had begun to breathe again. Shoto’s words had reached Katsuki. From the ashes of rage, something was being born.
And then…
A voice echoed as if from within the walls. No one had spoken, no device had activated. But the words rang in their minds like a whisper:
*"Three stones, three paths, three dreams…"*
Kirishima’s eyes snapped open. He looked around in confusion.
Shoto flinched.
Katsuki lifted his head, his eyes still red but no longer hollow—now sharp with focus.
*"What did you say?"* Kirishima murmured.
Shoto shook his head.
*"I didn’t say anything… But I heard it."*
*"Me too,"* Katsuki said. *"A whisper… but it was inside me."*
Their attention turned to a notebook lying atop a stone crate by the wall. The Fallen Hero’s notebook—filled with symbols, scribbled notes, and riddles between its pages…
Kirishima quickly moved to it and carefully opened it.
A page… a drawing…
A coiled snake, circling stars… Below it, a single word: *"Balance."*
And beneath that, another line in familiar handwriting:
*"Poison burns most from within.*
*Destruction comes not from outside, but from inside."*
Shoto repeated it to himself:
*"Poison… from within…"*
Katsuki muttered under his breath:
*"This is about that kid… But still… his name isn’t here."*
Then, Shoto closed his eyes. The hand he’d seen in the dream, the arms wrapped around them… The return of fire and the connection of stars…
His voice came out hoarse and tired:
*"These aren’t just traces. These are… a map."*
Katsuki lifted his head for the first time. The photograph was still in his hand. The emerald-eyed boy was still smiling at him.
*"He’s still here,"* he said. *"Somewhere…"*
---
The silence of the night was broken only by the howling wind outside. The shelter, buried beneath the abandoned subway tunnels, was surrounded by walls decayed by time. Faded slogans, peeling paint, the ghostly outlines of childhood hero drawings—but the three heroes were focused on one thing: the notebook.
Katsuki sat on his knees, gripping the page tightly. The phantom touch of the photograph from his dream still lingered on his fingertips—himself, Shoto, and… Him.
Shoto leaned against a rusted pipe, eyes fixed on the notebook. Kirishima watched their surroundings silently, but his gaze kept returning to his friends. Finally, Katsuki was the one to open the notebook. He exhaled shakily. The page stayed blank for a moment. Then… faint, barely visible lines appeared. Words that had been hidden but never truly gone.
A new riddle flowed from the page like a whisper:
*"Three bodies, one burden, one memory…*
*Fate’s map was sealed in fire.*
*Childhood’s voice froze in ice,*
*And poison dissolved silently in tears."*
Silence.
Shoto leaned forward, murmuring:
*"'Three bodies'… Is that us? Or… them?"*
His gaze flickered briefly to Kirishima, then back to Katsuki.
Katsuki lowered his head, his voice rough:
*"'Fate’s map sealed in fire'… Could that be Saketo Hill?"*
Kirishima frowned, slowly sinking to the ground.
*"'Childhood’s voice froze in ice'… That’s Shoto. Maybe our childhood… those old days at UA… Even our innocence is just a memory now."*
Shoto cleared his throat. *"And the last line… 'Poison dissolved silently in tears.' That—"*
He stopped. He couldn’t finish the sentence. They all thought it at once:
Poison… tears… *Hebi no Koe.*
But no one dared say the name aloud.
The unspoken words hung in the air like echoes.
Katsuki suddenly stood. He turned the page slowly. Beneath the old writing was a new symbol:
A snake with three heads. One marked with flame, one with ice, one with a star.
And beneath it, another line, written as if whispered:
*"Every name written on justice’s wall carries a price.*
*Your search will lead you to the map beneath the fire."*
Katsuki stared at the page so long that Shoto finally asked:
*"What do you see?"*
For the first time, Katsuki struggled for words.
*"...Traces,"* he said. *"Traces that haven’t faded yet. But we don’t know whose they are."*
Then, they all realized it at once: This wasn’t just a riddle. It was a map. And it was leading them to only one place.
The shadow of the past.
Chapter 17: The Children Who Counted Stars
Chapter Text
From the Depths of the Night**
Dim light seeped through the darkness, casting flickering shadows on the shelter’s walls from the trembling glow of nearly extinguished lamps overhead. Katsuki still clutched the notebook tightly, his fingers digging into the worn edges of the paper, old ink stains smudging his skin. His eyes scanned the lines once more.
Silence enveloped the room, broken only by Shoto’s steady but heavy breaths and Kirishima’s tense posture.
The third riddle still echoed in their minds:
> *"Fire’s six are the map,*
> *The path where poison flows is blood.*
> *Every scream remembered is a sign,*
> *But the forgotten is the key to the passage."*
"A passage?" Katsuki whispered. "What passage? What map is this?"
Kirishima shook his head slightly. "Maybe this ‘fire’... has something to do with Touya."
Shoto’s voice was low but sharp. "Or that ruined school behind the pond—the one we went to as kids."
Just then, a shadow shifted on the shelter’s wall.
Katsuki shot to his feet, sparks crackling at his fingertips like miniature explosions. "Who’s there?!"
The footsteps were slow, calm, and familiar.
The Fallen Hero stepped inside silently, his hood casting half his face in darkness.
"That notebook in your hands," he said, his voice quiet and sorrowful, "is a guide... but sometimes, the path is more tangled than the map itself."
Katsuki narrowed his eyes. "What the hell does that mean?"
The Fallen Hero stepped forward, resting his fingers on the notebook. His gaze met Kirishima’s worried eyes.
"It speaks of a door that will open when the time comes. That door... is buried beneath your memories."
Then, slowly, he pulled a slip of paper from inside his coat. On it was another riddle:
> *"There was a child who counted the stars,*
> *Whose poison lay not on his lips, but in his heart.*
> *If blue burns, the world trembles,*
> *But if the serpent slithers, the earth below will speak."*
Katsuki’s hand trembled. "Enough!" he shouted. "I’m sick of these damn riddles! If he’s still alive—if any of this points to him—why won’t you just say it?!"
Kirishima stood, reaching out as if to touch him but stopping short.
Shoto, eyes fixed on the notebook, murmured, "The child who counted the stars..."
But the Fallen Hero was already retreating. He offered no further words.
"You must learn to see," he said. "Not with your eyes, but with your heart."
With one last glance, he vanished into the shadows. Yet the three heroes did not follow. Because they felt it—another presence.
Across from the shelter, atop a ruined building, two silhouettes appeared.
One was wreathed in a blue flame, burning like an inferno in the dark.
The other had emerald eyes that pierced the night—but those eyes were no longer pure. They were tainted, veins threaded with the residue of another reality.
They had watched everything unfold below.
And one of them spoke softly:
"They’re growing," said the blue-eyed one. "Every piece they deny brings them closer to the end."
"Or the beginning," replied the other, his voice cold as a serpent’s hiss. "Fire merged with poison... burns the stars."
Then silence.
And between them, a single word echoed:
"Are you ready?"
---
The yellowed lamplight glinted off the ink in the notebook, its pages lying silent like tombstones. Katsuki had spread it open before him, his face a mix of fury and helplessness. His voice shook as he pressed his fingers into the pages.
"Poison... fire... stars..." he muttered, then slammed his fist onto the table. "What the hell do these words mean?! What is this damn notebook trying to say?!"
Shoto said nothing. He sat to the side, his head slightly turned toward the notebook, eyelids half-lowered. His face was pale. The wound on his body was still fresh, but the real pain ran much deeper.
Kirishima stood beside Katsuki, his gaze flickering between Shoto and his explosive friend.
"Maybe... maybe we’re looking at it wrong," he said, voice soft but strained. "Riddles always work backward—"
"Shut up!" Katsuki snapped, eyes blazing. "I’ve had enough! We’re all just chasing nonsense! If he’s alive, then just say it! Otherwise, this damn notebook—this cursed thing—means nothing!"
Suddenly, he lunged to his feet. Energy crackled in his palms, ready to explode.
He grabbed the notebook and raised it high. "If it won’t give me answers—then—!"
But Kirishima moved.
His body hardened like a shield as he grabbed Katsuki, blocking his arms.
"Stop, Katsuki!" he shouted. "This won’t solve anything! His memory... this notebook, this fight—you can’t just destroy it!"
Katsuki struggled, his body writhing like a storm trying to break free. But Kirishima didn’t let go. He held on, protective and stubborn.
"Let me go... damn it, Eijirou—!" Katsuki snarled.
Then something broke. His shoulders slumped. His resistance faded. And suddenly, he collapsed against Kirishima’s chest, his voice raw.
"I... couldn’t find him."
And then he wept.
For the first time—openly, violently, shattered.
Kirishima held him tight. His own eyes were wet, but he said nothing. Because some pain was beyond words.
Shoto moved then. He stood silently, picking up the notebook with trembling hands. The pages were crumpled but intact.
But as he lifted it, something slipped free—a photograph.
Yellowed with age, edges frayed.
Three children stood in the frame.
One was Izuku, bright-eyed and smiling.
One was Katsuki, serious but with a fierce spark.
And between them, Shoto—quiet, withdrawn.
They were young. Before everything began.
Before any wounds were taken. Before anyone was lost.
Shoto picked up the photo, fingers trembling as he traced its edge. He stared at it for a long moment before tucking it silently into his lap.
"This notebook," he said softly, "doesn’t just hold riddles... but memories, too."
Katsuki was still in Kirishima’s arms, his sobs quieting. Kirishima rested his head against Katsuki’s, silent.
Outside, the wind howled.
But inside, three broken but unyielding souls took one step closer to the truth.
---
**Whispers in the Dark**
The underground was a place forgotten by time.
An old subway tunnel—now just a graveyard of rusted rails and ghosts of the past.
Footsteps echoed.
Three heroes moved as one, shadows clinging to them, hearts heavy with unanswered questions.
Katsuki Bakugou led the way.
His shoulders still bore scars, his hands still unhealed.
But these wounds weren’t from battle—they were the marks of a lost heart.
His hands were ready—he didn’t know what they’d face.
But one thing was certain: *"He has to be out there somewhere..."*
Shoto Todoroki was silent.
The bandages around his left shoulder limited his movements.
His body was wounded, his spirit weary.
But his eyes were alert. He only looked forward. Because there was no turning back.
Eijiro Kirishima followed close behind.
Though his body was hardened like armor, his eyes betrayed his worry.
He was the bridge between them—the one who swore to keep them together.
He scanned every crack, every shadow, searching for traces of the past.
The darkness was silent.
But they could hear the whispers growing within it.
On the tunnel walls, old UA symbols remained—defaced by black paint, victims of someone’s rage.
Time had buried many things.
But it had not forgotten.
---
**The Commission’s Ambush**
Just as the silence settled, an unexpected sound rose from the depths.
Footsteps. Then light.
Metal boots struck the ground, sending chills down their spines.
Empty-eyed figures emerged from the dark—Hero Commission enforcers. No longer human, just hollow shells obeying orders.
Katsuki didn’t hesitate.
He lunged forward.
An explosion—not just tearing through enemies, but through his own fury.
His hands shook, but he didn’t stop.
Blood, burns, pain—they were all part of him now.
Shoto tried to move, but his wound held him back. He could only watch.
Kirishima shielded him, body hardening. "This isn’t over," he growled.
But the passage was narrow. Breathing was hard.
They were cornered.
Katsuki raised his hands again. "One more blast... maybe this time—"
But something was missing.
Desperation clawed at his throat.
"Is this it?" he whispered.
Then—a hand gripped his.
Shoto’s hand.
Weak, trembling, but there.
"Not yet," he said. "Not now."
And in that moment—light changed everything.
---
**Last-Minute Hope**
A spotlight burst from above, cutting through the smoke.
Gravity twisted. Rubble and enemies floated upward.
Uraraka.
Her face was stern, hands outstretched.
She wasn’t just lifting debris—she was reigniting an old bond.
Electricity crackled along the walls.
Denki Kaminari arrived next. "Don’t worry—we’ve got the power!"
Tape shot out, yanking attackers back.
Sero Hanta fought with stubborn determination.
Then came steady footsteps.
Momo Yaoyorozu, a map in one hand, a radar in the other.
Every move calculated, every word assured.
And behind them—Jirou.
Her earjacks stabbed into the ground, sensing every movement.
Her heartbeat steady, listening to the tunnel’s pulse.
---
**Reunion**
Katsuki’s eyes met Uraraka’s through the smoke.
For the first time, something in him cracked.
He didn’t speak.
But his eyes said everything: *"You came..."*
Shoto straightened, stunned but grateful. "How did you—?"
Momo stepped forward. "We knew you weren’t alone. The notebook’s clues led us here."
Kirishima exhaled, smiling. "We fought together before, didn’t we?"
Jirou lifted a device. "The signals are coming from here. The symbols in the notebook match the echoes in this place."
---
**A New Beginning**
Katsuki sank to his knees.
Not from exhaustion.
But because, for the first time, he realized—he wasn’t alone.
Uraraka knelt beside him. "We’ll finish this notebook together."
Shoto nodded. "This time... for all of us."
Denki looked back, whispering: "For the stars... we’ll make it through this darkness."
And for the first time, they walked forward as one.
All that remained was to follow the voice—Izuku’s voice.
Chapter 18: The Door to the Past, The Key to the Future
Chapter Text
**The Tunnel's Heart – The Forgotten Passage**
The darkness weighed heavily upon them. The stone walls seemed to swallow their breaths, and even the echoes of their footsteps faded into a muffled hum. At the end of the path, a wall unlike the others stood before them—built of damp stone but intricately carved, as if crafted to be remembered.
Its surface was covered in symbols. Stars, circles, spirals…
But at its center was an aura that seemed to pull them all in.
Momo’s lips trembled as she approached.
*"This... is personal."*
Shoto narrowed his eyes. At the wall’s center, the shape of a flame and an ice crystal stood out clearly.
Katsuki shifted slightly to the left—there, an explosion ring, its fiery lines curling inward, shimmered faintly.
*"These… are us,"* Jirou whispered, her fingers brushing against the soundwave symbol beside her.
Uraraka’s eyes widened. Where her symbol should have been, a floating mass orb hovered like a planet.
Tsuyu crouched—at the base of the wall, a frog’s footprint.
Beside Kirishima, a petrified shield; above Denki, a tiny lightning bolt flickered.
Sero’s spot bore interwoven tape patterns; Mina’s was marked with swirling acid spirals.
Iida’s height held a turning gear, a symbol of order and determination.
And then, at the very center—an emptiness.
Where all other symbols converged.
There, a silhouette… a headless figure. Only a smile and a raised hand.
*Izuku.*
Katsuki’s throat tightened.
*"This—this is his..."* he couldn’t finish.
Momo wiped her tears as she knelt.
*"A kind of gate. But personal. It knows us… or wants us to remember."*
Kirishima opened the notebook, flipping through its pages. The Fallen Hero’s final riddle was there:
> *"The voice lost in time’s heart returns only as an echo to those bound.
> When hands part, darkness grows—but a remembering heart summons the light."*
Uraraka placed her hand on her symbol, the mass orb.
*"I… still hear his voice. Maybe this door responds because we haven’t forgotten him."*
Jou’s fingers touched her earphone jacks.
*"It’s like the frequencies… are resonating."*
Katsuki said nothing. But his hand, too, reached for the explosion symbol.
And then, one by one, they all touched their own.
Suddenly, cracks of light spread across the stone.
The symbols glowed from within—warm, familiar.
But the door didn’t open.
Only a small compartment slid open, dust spilling out.
Inside lay three things:
A fragment of a map, marking a hidden area beyond UA’s borders.
A riddle, written in an older hand, matching the notebook’s style:
> *"The echo of a lost unity is heard most beneath laughter."*
And… a photograph.
Momo’s hands shook as she picked it up.
The photo was old, its edges yellowed.
But the people in it—*all of them.*
Class 1-A.
At sunset, in an open field.
Izuku at the front, hands raised mid-laugh. Katsuki half-glaring at him, Shoto behind with a rare smile.
Uraraka and Iida dancing to Jirou’s guitar. Mina and Denki shoving each other in the background. Momo closest to the camera, her smile untouched by time.
The silence stretched.
Then Kirishima whispered:
*"This… was our hideout. Deep beneath UA, a place that belonged only to us."*
Jirou closed her eyes.
*"That place… was ours."*
Katsuki gritted his teeth.
*"I remember that day. I laughed… with him."*
Shoto studied the map.
*"He’s leading us back there. To our past. But not just to remember… to complete it."*
Momo nodded.
*"We’re going."*
And so, guided by echoes of the past, they set off toward that old hideout—a memory glowing faintly in the dark.
Because some answers could only be found in the places where they had once laughed together as children.
---
**The Hidden Hideout – Forgotten Childhood, Unfinished Future**
They walked through the passage marked by symbols, each step dragging not just their feet but their memories. The tunnel was cold, but the warmth inside them was different.
Katsuki led, gripping the map tightly. His strides were firm, yet each one sank deeper into the past.
Everything he had ever believed in, every truth, every battle—it was all waiting at the end of this corridor, in the shadow of a memory.
And then…
The door opened.
Rusted, heavy metal. Not by itself, but as if pressed by the weight of remembrance.
A dusty room greeted them. But beneath that dust was something else.
*Life.*
The old room they had once declared their "hideout" with childish solemnity—an abandoned extension of UA’s underground training grounds. They had never told anyone. Like a treehouse, they had kept it secret.
Names carved into the walls:
*"Deku + Kacchan," "Class 1-A’s Fortress," "Denki Was Here," "Ashido Power!", "Plus Ultra!"*
In one corner, Jirou’s tiny amp still sat. Beside it, Momo’s first homemade medicine prototype.
The chalkboard where Kirishima had scribbled his rock-lifting record, Uraraka’s tiny bell hanging above it.
And in the center of the room…
A massive bulletin board.
Covered in photos, maps, symbols.
A place where time had frozen, where a team of heroes had once breathed.
Tsuyu crouched.
*"Touching this place… it’s like coming home."*
Mina wiped her tears as she spotted a faint shimmer on the wall.
*"Deku stuck this sticker here. He said, ‘Our first mission.’"*
Denki lifted the lid of an old crate. Inside were worn costumes, hero figurines bought with allowance money, empty notebooks.
*"Keeping all this… it’s crazy."*
Iida stepped forward, his voice cracking:
*"No. It’s… faith."*
Shoto stood by a window-like alcove, staring into the dark tunnel beyond.
*"Everything we have now… started here."*
And Katsuki.
Katsuki said nothing.
He stood before the photo board.
His eyes fixed on one frame—Izuku at the center.
His hand reached out.
Shook.
But touched.
*"He led us here,"* he said.
*"Because… we only make sense together."*
Momo clasped her hands.
*"The final clue in the notebook remains unsolved. But maybe the answer is here—in this room, in this past."*
Uraraka spread a sheet of paper on the table.
The carvings on the hideout’s board matched the patterns from the photo in the notebook.
A cipher.
A direction.
A new path born from memory.
Kirishima closed his eyes.
*"Izuku… couldn’t have planned this. But his heart… somehow still guides us."*
Then Momo noticed something. A small note hidden behind the board.
Just one sentence:
> *"Where eternity begins: The quietest scream beneath the sky."*
---
**The Starlit Night Hidden in the Hideout**
Memories beneath the dust began to breathe.
Katsuki still stared at the old photo—but now, not just at the shadow of the past, but at the light of the future.
Suddenly, Uraraka noticed a mechanism shifting behind an old bookshelf in the corner.
With a creak, a hidden compartment opened, and an aged box tumbled out.
On its lid, in Izuku’s handwriting:
> *"If we’re ever separated…
> If you ever lose yourselves…
> Look not to the sky, but to the starlit night within us."*
Inside were riddles wrapped in parchment, symbol cards marked for each of them, and personal notes.
And at the very bottom—a yellowed map. A single phrase was written on it:
*"Starlit Night."*
---
✦ **For Katsuki Bakugou:**
A single-word note slipped into Katsuki’s hand.
Hastily written but clear:
> *"The shore of the first pond we played at.
> Where I first said, ‘You’ll be the hero.’
> A memory waits for you there."*
Beneath it, a small sketch—a hand reaching for another.
Katsuki’s fingers trembled.
No one noticed—or if they did, they said nothing.
---
✦ **For Shoto Todoroki:**
Shoto opened the envelope Momo handed him. Inside, two words written in red and blue ink:
> *"Remember the night you burned with fire but sealed with ice.
> Saketo Hill.
> The echo of that first moment—when you escaped your father and looked up at the sky—still lingers there."*
A small compass accompanied it.
Its needle didn’t point north. Instead, it tilted stubbornly west.
Shoto’s eyes darkened for a moment. Then, with resolve:
*"I remember that night."*
---
✦ **For the Rest of Class 1-A:**
A hidden compartment in the box held tiny cards, each marked with their personal symbols:
Frog, bubble, lightning bolt, tape, scales of justice…
Jirou turned hers over, finding a musical note with a message inside:
> *"You’re the one who hears the sound. But not everyone is ready to listen.
> A signal hides between frequencies.
> It waits for you in UA’s old broadcast room."*
Denki’s card read:
> *"Where your energy exploded but burned you most.
> Go back. To the first generator you broke in the dark hallway."*
Tsuyu’s card felt damp—as if the paper itself held water.
> *"What lingered in shadow, but caught the first to fall—the well where you touched the water with your hands.
> Return there."*
---
✦ **For Kirishima Eijirou:**
Kirishima’s fingers brushed over the faint cracks on his card. A small stone shield was drawn on it—identical to the symbol he’d doodled as a kid.
On the back:
> *"You were always the one who stood firm.
> But sometimes, you were also the most fragile.
> That day behind UA’s gym, when you cried alone.
> Your voice still lingers there.
> The wall where you said, ‘I’m not hard enough’—now whispers something back."*
Kirishima clenched the card, eyes wet.
No one had known about that wall.
---
✦ **For Ochaco Uraraka:**
Uraraka’s card floated slightly in her palm—as if gravity had no hold. A weightless symbol was etched beside a tiny house, symbolizing her bond with her family.
The message:
> *"You lifted everything upward.
> But kept your heart anchored below.
> Where is the first letter your mother sent you?
> The answer lies where you hid it.
> When you asked, ‘I want to rise, but to where?’—it heard you."*
Tears spilled from Uraraka’s eyes.
---
✦ **For Mina Ashido:**
Mina’s card had a colorful flame and a smiley sticker. Beneath it:
> *"The day you made everyone laugh but silenced yourself.
> Look inside the box you left on UA’s rooftop—the night before the last battle."*
Chapter 19: The Legacy of a Lost Star
Summary:
"Do Stars Die Too?"
Chapter Text
**Oda fell silent.**
Each of them was locked onto the symbols in their hands, the cards, the past.
Kirishima leaned against a wall, still staring at the group photo they had taken that day.
*"Izuku... did you plan all this?"*
Jirou lowered her head.
*"Maybe he didn’t plan it. But he felt it."*
Momo pulled out one last scroll from the box.
Written on it in handwriting was:
> *"If you’re still together…*
*if you can still fight…*
*the stars won’t unite you in the sky—but beneath your feet.*
*The answer isn’t above… it’s below.*
*The city still lives.*
*And its heart beats beneath the starry night."*
Katsuki clenched his eyes shut.
*"He’s still guiding us. Even eight years after the war..."*
Shoto took a deep breath.
*"And this time, we’re together."*
Momo spread the map on the ground.
Each card, each symbol, each coordinate—
all pointed to specific locations in the tunnels beneath the city.
Together, they whispered one truth:
> *The Starry Night Isn’t Just in the Sky. It’s Within You.*
**End of Chapter 20. Beginning of Chapter 21.**
---
**"Night, Headquarters, and Silence"**
The night had fallen quietly.
Outside, the city seemed to hold its breath beneath the concrete. The distant hum from above was gone—only the echoes of the underground remained, the old stones, the cracked walls.
The headquarters… once filled with laughter, plans, and dreams of heroism… was now covered in the dust of the past.
The lights were dim. The lamps, powered by old UA technology, flickered weakly. That trembling light stretched the shadows on the walls, turning the silhouettes of the children into ghosts in the darkness.
Each of them had retreated to a different corner.
---
**Katsuki.**
He quietly closed the door to the old training room.
The card was still in his pocket. He hadn’t opened it. He didn’t want to. But he did.
Inside was a single sentence, hastily handwritten:
> *"Explosions don’t just destroy—they carve paths. If you don’t want to destroy yourself, remember what you’re protecting."*
Beneath it was a photo.
An old picture from their summer vacation, all of them together.
Izuku, in the center. Looking at Katsuki. Smiling—at him, more than anyone else.
Katsuki’s lips trembled. His fists tightened.
*"Damn it..."* he whispered.
He crouched down.
Buried his face in his hands.
*"How… how did I lose you, huh?"*
But his voice wasn’t angry—it was broken.
A whisper escaped him.
Maybe it was Izuku’s voice. Maybe his own guilt.
---
**Shoto.**
By the window, he held his card, staring silently.
On it, a mark as if burned by his own fire.
The writing continued along the charred edges:
> *"Fire burned you. But the same fire also warmed you. Stop fighting your father’s ghost. The real enemy is the part of yourself you keep hidden."*
Shoto closed his eyes.
The wound on his shoulder still burned, but the wound in his heart… was deeper.
He heard his brother’s screams.
His mother’s silent tears.
And suddenly, he remembered a hand reaching out to him.
Izuku’s hand.
In the hospital room, bandaged, offering him a small strawberry chocolate.
*"I heard it’s your favorite."*
That tiny gesture—the first time someone had shown him kindness.
He pressed the card to his chest.
This time, it wasn’t the flames that scared him. It was the memories.
---
**Kirishima.**
He stood by the old armor racks, leaning against the wall.
He opened his card. Thick, scrawled handwriting read:
> *"True hardness isn’t never breaking—it’s standing up even when you’re shattered inside. Don’t lose yourself trying to protect everyone."*
Beneath it, a small doodle:
A cartoon of him and Bakugou fighting a giant robot together.
He smiled. But his eyes welled up.
*"You tried so hard, didn’t you?"* he said to the imaginary Izuku on the card.
*"To protect all of us…"*
He clenched his fists. His nails dug into his palms.
*"I promise you… this time, we’ll protect you."*
---
**Uraraka.**
She sat sprawled on the old lounge cushions.
A card in her lap, a letter beside her.
The card read only:
> *"Just because you’re weightless doesn’t mean you carry no burdens."*
And a note:
> *"Don’t be afraid to read your mother’s letter."*
With trembling hands, she unfolded the envelope.
Her mother had written it before the war began.
*"If we never see each other again…"*
Her throat tightened. Silent tears fell.
But then, a hand lightly touched her arm.
Tsuyu.
Their eyes met.
Without a word, Tsuyu simply sat beside her.
And opened her own card.
---
**Tsuyu.**
> *"The water’s depths are dark. But the brightest stars are seen in the deepest reflections."*
Tsuyu tilted her head.
With a small smile, she leaned against Uraraka’s shoulder.
---
**Momo.**
In the corner of the library, surrounded by old books, she read her card:
> *"Your power to create isn’t just for the outside world. It can also mend broken hearts."*
She took a deep breath.
Behind her stood Iida.
His card described him perfectly:
> *"Rules are your compass, but sometimes you need to look to the stars."*
Iida lifted his head.
*"Izuku… you’re still watching over us, aren’t you?"* he whispered.
Momo didn’t answer.
But suddenly, from behind the old screen on the wall—a faint glow.
As if a starry night had seeped inside.
---
**Denki Kaminari**
Denki had slumped into a corner. He tried to smile, but his face trembled. His usual playful demeanor was gone—tonight, the silence inside him roared louder than any noise.
He opened his card. One corner was slightly singed, the marks still warm.
> *"A spark is enough. As long as you’re not afraid of the dark."*
A small note was tucked inside, handwritten:
> *"You were always enough. You just had to stop plugging yourself into someone else’s outlet."*
Denki’s eyes watered.
*"Stupid… this is so stupid,"* he whispered.
But then, he felt a shadow approach.
Jirou.
She sat beside him without a word.
*"Sometimes… we laughed because of your voice,"* she said.
*"When you don’t laugh, we feel incomplete. What happens now?"*
Denki shrugged. But he smiled—forced, but there.
*"For now… I’ll write a song for you. And for Izuku… maybe a melody."*
Jirou’s eyes glimmered.
*"Tonight, everyone’s silent… but maybe your voice still echoes."*
Denki nodded.
*"Sometimes… even a song can save someone, right?"*
---
**Mina Ashido**
In another corner of the headquarters, Mina stood before an old drawing on the wall. She had drawn it herself. Colorful, cheerful… from after Izuku’s birthday. They had laughed so much that day.
But now, the colors had faded.
Just like the colors inside her.
She held her card. Her eyes were still wet.
> *"Your joy isn’t armor. But it is a gift. When you forget yourself, you shone like this so others would remember you."*
Beneath it, a tiny note:
> *"If you ever cry… know that I still remember your smile."*
And a small doodle—Izuku’s hand had drawn a little dancing figure.
Mina sank to her knees.
As if lost, she touched the drawing.
*"I… didn’t want to remember you like this,"* she said.
*"But maybe… this was your dance too. One last spin with us in the dark."*
Then Kirishima approached. He didn’t speak. Just placed a hand on her shoulder.
And Tsuyu sighed softly.
*"Everyone’s burden is heavy,"* she said.
*"But if we walk together… maybe it gets a little lighter."*
---
**Hanta Sero**
Sero sat at the far edge of the headquarters, at the base of a half-crumbled pillar. His hands rested on his knees, his gaze empty. The faint light from a crack in the ceiling fell on his face, deepening the shadows on his cheeks.
He hadn’t spoken all night.
But the card was in his hands.
When he opened it, there was only one word inside.
Small, carefully written:
> *"Bond."*
Beneath it, even smaller, like a whisper:
> *"You were always the invisible tape holding us together. In every joke, every laugh—you kept us connected."*
Sero’s throat tightened.
He remembered.
The laughter in UA’s halls.
The way he’d pull people together with the tape from his hands.
How he’d save those who fell in battle.
And how no one ever noticed how much weight he carried…
Silently, he stood. Pressed the card to his chest.
Katsuki glanced at him but said nothing.
*"Sero?"* Denki asked, his voice fragile with curiosity.
Sero shook his head.
His voice was rough but sincere:
*"I’m still here.
And this time… I won’t just stick you all together.
We’ll stay together. This time, we won’t break apart."*
Mina stepped closer, smiling.
*"Izuku would’ve loved hearing that. Because that’s how he was too, wasn’t he? Always trying to keep us from breaking."*
Sero looked up.
At the starless sky through the cracked ceiling.
*"He’s still watching us. And this card… these words… they’re not just a goodbye.
They’re a knot. The thread that ties us back together."*
And so, the night grew heavier.
Their hearts full of the memories the cards had given,
their backs weighed by the past, but their souls kindled with renewed hope,
they held onto each other tighter.
Because now they knew:
This wasn’t just a battle against the darkness.
It was a battle to reweave broken bonds,
to gather their scattered class once more,
and maybe—just maybe—to see a starry night again.
And together, they realized:
The cards hadn’t yet spoken their final words.
They weren’t just showing the past—they were guiding the future.
That night, the stone walls of the headquarters carried hope once more.
And in the dark, a voice echoed softly:
*"No matter how long the night, the stars never forget to shine."*
---
**Amidst Poisonous Emeralds**
Stone lanterns hung from the ceiling, casting an emerald-green glow over the throne room in a flickering half-light. Shadows slithered like snakes across the ancient carvings. And in the center, rising like a relic of a fallen empire, was a massive stone throne.
The figure upon it was motionless. But their silence was more than mere quiet.
Their hands were clasped together. Black tattoos coiled like serpents up their fingers, vanishing beneath their sleeves. Scars—some old, some still red—marked their skin like memories carved into bone.
They didn’t lift their head. But they were aware of everything.
The Commission’s movements above. The suppressed hopes. The names whispered in the tunnels.
Everything reached even their shadow.
Behind the throne, among the serpent carvings, hung a painting—a faded image behind cracked glass. A group of children, laughing. All from the same class. All from the same time.
Children who had once shared a future.
---
In their mind, one scene played on repeat.
A foggy, gray hall. Men in masks standing before them. Guns in hand, poison in their words. Each one an obedient soldier, each one a so-called guardian of order. They had looked at them—not as a person, but as a threat.
*"Too strong for an idealist. Too dangerous."*
*"Justice shouldn’t rest on a child’s shoulders."*
*"Either you control it… or you lose it."*
Their voices echoed. But that wasn’t their time anymore. Now, they were buried underground—and the figure sat beneath the stone, like a hidden sovereign.
Suddenly, their eyes opened.
The fractured light through the glass illuminated their emerald tattoos.
*"I am neither a ruler… nor an enemy,"* they murmured. *"I am the echo of the abandoned."*
They rested a hand on the stone armrest. Their fingers brushed against a small symbol carved into the throne—a serpent’s eye. It glimmered, as if blinking.
A sound came from beyond the corridor. A whisper? Or footsteps? It was hard to tell.
But their vision was fixed elsewhere. On glimmers in the dark, echoes from the future.
They had a plan.
And their whispers had already slithered into the tunnels.
---
**Emerald Shadow — A Message from the Throne**
Before the stone throne stood a small stone table, holding an ancient device.
Dusty, half-broken—but still functional. Glass tubes and metal wires snaked downward, connecting to systems deep beneath the earth. Once, it had been UA’s emergency communication network. Now, it carried the voice of a ghost.
Without lifting their head, the Serpent’s Voice reached for the mechanism. Their thumb bled—a single drop touching the device.
Emerald runes ignited.
And through the old speakers in the tunnels, a voice leaked out.
Young, yet old.
Calm, yet chilling.
Familiar, yet forgotten.
> *"Walking together may protect you for a while. But what comes after?"*
> *"You clung to each other to reach the stars. But the stars have already fallen, haven’t they?"*
> *"You still don’t understand. What destroyed you wasn’t your enemies. It was you. The trust you broke with your own hands, the friendships you turned from, the moments you stayed silent…"*
> *"As long as you stay silent, as long as you avert your eyes… at the end of the tunnel, there’s no light—only your own reflection."*
> *"And I ask you: How well do you really know each other? Katsuki Bakugou, do you still think you can save him? Shoto Todoroki, you ran from your family’s legacy—but did it not seep into you anyway?"*
> *"Kirishima Eijirou, how much of your courage was real, and how much was performance?"*
> *"And you… the ones left behind. The silent ones. Which of you dares to touch his dream?"*
For a moment, silence. The voice echoing through the tunnels choked itself, fading into a whisper.
But then—the sound of something hitting the stone floor.
A card.
Its corner burned, its center painted emerald green. A riddle was written on it:
> *"The starry night doesn’t belong only to the sky.*
> *The eyes that watch it*
> *shine behind silenced hearts.*
> *The brightest star carries the darkest past.*
> *And sometimes,*
> *a fallen class must dig its own grave*
> *before it can rise again."*
Katsuki clenched his fists. His teeth ground together.
*"Enough…"* he growled.
But the stone walls only answered with echoes.
Chapter 20: Echoes of Shattered Stars & Confessions of the Blue Flame
Summary:
Some wounds never heal. Some voices never fade. And some heroes… were they ever worth saving?
Chapter Text
Behind the Emeralds**
He stood a few steps before the stone throne. A massive structure of twisted, rusted metal and stone fused together… Was it a monument? A tomb? Or just a shadow built from madness?
His eyes traced the dark form.
He was exhausted. His knees had given out. But he was still standing.
Blood stained his hands. Drops slid slowly between his fingers, falling onto the stone floor like an irregular melody.
A crimson streak ran from the corner of his nose, mingling with his lips as they twisted into a psychopathic smile.
*"It's done,"* he whispered.
*"Finally… complete."*
A footstep echoed from the darkness.
Someone leaned against the wall.
Touya.
His slumped shoulders swayed like cigarette smoke.
He crossed his arms, tilting his head.
> *"Brat… You actually did it, huh?"*
*"All those whispers, those riddles, that silence… Everyone was one step away from losing their minds."*
*"But it seems… you were already ten steps ahead."*
The boy’s eyes remained fixed on the dark creation.
He didn’t turn his head.
But his voice came:
> *"They didn’t understand. They still don’t."*
*"They thought they were broken… but they were never broken."*
*"Because they never held on in the first place."*
Touya smirked, narrowing his eyes. He stepped forward.
His footsteps echoed.
> *"Getting into this… was just a game at first."*
*"But for you, there’s no game left, is there?"*
*"Let me be honest… This side of you is starting to get scary."*
*"But at the same time… it’s kind of thrilling."*
The boy finally turned his head to look.
His eyes held a shattered star.
A belief teetering on the edge of madness, burning fiercely.
*"I broke,"* he said.
*"And sometimes… the broken ones carry the truest echoes."*
Touya shook his head.
*"Back to the cryptic talk. Sounding like an old man. Fine, go ahead… send your message. Let’s see who’s still alive and who’s already buried."*
The boy lowered his head. Pressed a button.
The mechanism in the tunnel whirred to life.
And the darkness answered with an emerald echo.
The damp air of the tunnel shifted suddenly.
Cold, dry, metallic—an eerie shiver ran through.
As if an ancient mechanism hidden within the stone walls had activated…
A faint tremor rose from beneath the ground.
And then—a voice.
At first, just a whisper.
A tone like a slithering snake, its speaker unknown.
It had no source, yet came from everywhere.
> *"Do your eyes still show you the past?"*
*"Or have you finally found the courage to look toward the future?"*
Katsuki froze. His shoulders tensed.
Sparks crackled in his palms, ready to explode.
*"That voice… again,"* he hissed through clenched teeth.
Shoto lifted his head, his breath shallow.
Jirou’s earjacks twitched, scanning the surroundings.
*"The source… It’s coming from inside the tunnel. Everywhere. It’s bouncing, trapped."*
Kirishima bristled, every hair on end.
*"This… this thing is mocking us."*
> *"You survived because you stuck together, didn’t you?"*
*"How noble it sounds…"*
*"But what about the future?"*
*"What will protect you then, heroes?"*
*"Friendship? Your oaths? Or that ancient question you still haven’t answered—"*
*"Who will you fight to save?"*
A hum rose from the tunnel walls.
As if the stones themselves were speaking, the shadows laughing.
> *"You seek the Starry Night."*
*"But first, you must go blind to the dark."*
*"I was not born in light."*
*"I grew in the shadows."*
*"And you…"*
*"Still believe you live under the sun."*
Katsuki lunged forward.
*"Where the hell are you?! If you know so much, why hide?!"*
*"Show your face!"*
A laugh echoed—hoarse, broken.
> *"My face?"*
*"You can’t even face your own reflections."*
*"You only wear the masks of your memories."*
At the tunnel’s end, an old projector flickered to life.
A faded image projected onto the dust-covered wall.
Katsuki squinted.
Shoto’s hand trembled involuntarily.
Uraraka gasped. *"This… this is—"*
Mina wiped her eyes mid-sentence. *"1-A… All of us together…"*
The image showed young hero trainees smiling.
All of them, side by side.
And in the center, at the front… a silhouette, darkened.
The face was unclear. But an outstretched hand remained.
As if still calling to them.
And then—one more thing happened.
From the stone wall, a small box was pushed out, falling to the ground.
A metal case.
Inside were three things:
A riddle.
A symbol.
And a broken clock, spinning like a compass.
Momo bent down and picked up the riddle.
Only one sentence:
> *"Who did you forget—yourself, or me?"*
Jirou barely found her voice.
*"He’s… not playing with us. He’s preparing us."*
Katsuki’s eyes were hollow.
But the tremor at the corner of his lips betrayed the cracks in his heart.
*"No… He’s still testing us."*
Shoto lowered his head.
*"He’s still watching."*
Uraraka folded the riddle slowly.
*"And we’re still searching for the answer."*
---
### **SCENE I — Exit from Headquarters**
The sky did not yet recognize morning.
Darkness hung like a thick fog over the underground walls. Silence, like a ghost from the night before, lingered on the stone floor. The air was heavy, words piling up on tongues—yet no one spoke. Everyone was thinking of that one sentence from the night:
> *"One among you… has already been sold."*
The fragment of the cape from the box still lay on the table. It still carried Aoyama’s perfume. But now, that scent was the memory of betrayal.
Katsuki walked silently toward the door, fists clenched. The old wounds on his knuckles had reopened.
Shoto followed behind him, still gripping his shoulder—no longer hiding the pain.
Momo was right behind him. She scanned the headquarters one last time—the traces between the shelves, an old photo fading into dust. A moment when everyone had once smiled. Now, only shadows laughed.
Kirishima waited by the door, leaning against the stone. But his eyes… his eyes looked like they were drowning.
Denki walked with his head down. Jirou’s earjacks were silent. Tsuyu said nothing, but her gaze held a shaken faith.
And Uraraka… clutched a small card tightly. A single word was written on it:
> *"Rise."*
One by one, they stepped through the door. The symbols on the walls faded one after another. Explosion. Ice and Fire. Frog. Earphone Jack. Acid. Logic. Tape. Justice.
One by one, they vanished. The lights of the past dissolved into darkness.
When they stepped outside, the air was sharp and cold. The earth greeted them like strangers. The city was no longer just ruins—it was a trap.
A wind rose in the distance. But this was no ordinary wind.
---
### **SCENE II — The Commission’s Attack & The Return of the Blue Flame**
The first light of dawn did not reach these lands.
Katsuki led the way. Beneath his feet, shattered tiles marked what were once streets. Silence echoed like an old curse in their mouths—each one suppressing their own doubts, their footsteps blending together.
Then, suddenly—
A sound.
Sharp. Mechanical. Familiar.
*"TARGET ACQUIRED."*
From behind the shifting rubble, lights appeared first. Then armored units. The Commission’s sealed black ops squads—cleaners unseen for years—surrounded them. Their masks bore an old insignia: the silenced emblem of the Justice Department.
Katsuki immediately took position.
*"EVERYONE, SCATTER—!"*
But they were too late. Light bursts, gas canisters, and electromagnetic nets rained down from all sides.
Jirou hit the ground. Tsuyu pulled Uraraka back. Kirishima shattered a wall with his body, only to be thrown back by the next wave. Momo countered with devices from her bag. Denki’s electricity crackled, his words disjointed: *"This… this is an execution!"*
Shoto fell.
The old wound on his shoulder reopened.
As his knees hit the ground, he pressed his hands into the dirt. In that breathless moment—the air suddenly turned blue.
Silence came with the fire.
A pillar of flame split the sky.
But it wasn’t orange or yellow.
It was blue—aching, mad, resentful.
Shoto lifted his head.
The world around him burned—but it was cold.
The fire wasn’t scorching his body—it was searing his memories.
A figure appeared atop the ruins.
Snow-white hair whipped in the wind.
His body was burned—but he had not fallen.
> *"Tell me, little brother…"*
*"Will we burn together this time?"*
It was Touya.
No longer a Todoroki—just an echo of an older destruction.
Shoto’s eyes widened.
Every scream, every flame, every curse he’d heard as a child—all returned at once.
His hands trembled.
His eyes watered.
Katsuki roared:
*"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?! SHOTO! GET UP!"*
But Shoto’s knees remained rooted to the ground.
The blue flames didn’t engulf them—they shielded them.
The Commission’s ammunition melted midair before detonating.
For a moment, everything froze.
Touya turned his gaze to Katsuki.
*"I’m just setting the stage. You’re the one who explodes, Blasty."*
Then, he took a step back.
As the flames receded, his voice echoed:
> *"You’ve grown too big to recognize your own home."*
*"But now… everything will start over."*
And in that moment…
The Fallen Hero appeared.
Just a shadow. A glimpse on a broken wall.
Not Izuku’s voice this time—but the silence he left behind was just as sharp.
---
### **Under the Blue Flames: The Echo of a Brother**
When the flames tore through the sky, Shoto’s world went silent.
There were screams, yes. Explosions, cries for help, the crushing noise of the Commission’s armored units. But above it all, one voice cut through:
> *"Get up, Shoto."*
Touya.
And eyes that burned like his own—yet never extinguished.
Shoto’s heart recognized him without a name.
The language of fire was the distorted echo of brotherhood.
Touya spoke—only to Shoto.
> *"You’ve grown,"* he said.
*"But you still can’t lift your head and look up."*
The voice came from years ago.
From a burning child’s room. From the shadow of a rotted hero. From a forgotten brotherhood.
Touya stood atop the ruins.
But his face held no rage—only mockery.
A distortion that had long passed pain, standing at the edge of mad laughter.
Shoto lifted his head. His eyes flickered slightly.
When their gazes met, the chain of the past collapsed onto his shoulders.
> *"What’s wrong, little brother?"*
*"Fallen to your knees again? Did our father not teach you how to be a hero?"*
*"Or… have you only half-burned by now?"*
Shoto’s lips parted. But no words came.
Shoto trembled despite the heat.
Touya’s voice was angry, yes—but beneath it lay a weary sorrow.
> *"What’s wrong, little brother?"*
*"You became a star among heroes… so why do your eyes still shake like a child’s?"*
*"Father blessed you. He didn’t even speak my name."*
Touya took a step forward.
The flames shifted beneath his feet, as if shaped by his breath.
His voice was heavier this time, more shattering:
> *"I burned for you. Remember?"*
*"While I was charring… you were in our mother’s arms, playing with a stuffed bear."*
*"I lost my eyelids just to make your eyes shine."*
*"And still… they said, ‘You’re the best, Shoto.’ Not me."*
Shoto’s heart clenched.
The heat on his face was the sweat of deep shame.
His legs gave out.
He collapsed like a child.
The flames crackled. Touya stepped closer.
The blue tongue of the night shaped itself around him.
> *"You know, Shoto… sometimes I watched you. Hiding. No one knew."*
*"You had laughter. Smiles. Friends. Everything I ever dreamed of…"*
*"But… I didn’t just envy you."*
*"I missed you."*
Shoto’s eyes welled up. In that moment, the entire war seemed to pause.
> *"While I burned, I thought of you. Funny, isn’t it?"*
*"Even in pain, I wondered about you. Was Father still hurting you? Were you cold? Hungry? Was anyone protecting you?"*
Touya’s voice cracked for a second.
But he recovered quickly.
Covering his fragility with madness.
> *"And now here we are. You’re still on the ground. I’m still a burning curse."*
*"But I wanted you to know…"*
*"If I ever burned you… it would’ve been to protect you from yourself."*
Shoto had collapsed. His knees pressed into the stones, his vision blurred with tears.
Katsuki’s voice cut through like lightning:
> *"SHUT THE HELL UP! WHAT KIND OF BULLSHIT IS THIS?!"*
Touya laughed.
A thin, broken laugh on the edge of insanity:
> *"Get up, little brother."*
*"If you’re going to kill me… do it while looking me in the eye."*
*"But if you’re still busy seeking Father’s approval… then just burn."*
And in that moment…
Touya spread his arms.
The blue flames engulfed everything—except Shoto.
This wasn’t a physical attack.
This was a reminder of the past.
And Shoto burned within that memory.
But Shoto couldn’t answer.
Because Touya’s voice still rang in his ears:
> *"They poured more salve on your half-scar than they ever did on my corpse."*
The sky had gone silent.
Even the earth seemed to hold its breath.
---
In the silence left by the Commission’s attack, only one thing spoke:
The flames.
Blue.
Bright.
As much a reminder as they were a scorch.
Touya had encircled them in a ring of fire.
The flames curled like a starless sky, tearing through the dark, each spark carrying an echo of the past.
And at the center of that circle… Shoto knelt.
His shoulders shook.
His hands pressed into the ground, his forehead nearly touching the dirt.
Tears fell into the earth, glistening in the blue light.
Touya approached silently.
Shoto barely felt his steps, but he recognized his brother in the heat of that fire.
When he lifted his head, he saw a face that reminded him of how things were before everything shattered.
Touya knelt.
Facing Shoto.
He wiped away that single tear with the back of his hand—a touch passionate, loving, and gentle.
He smiled.
> *"You’re crying again,"* Touya said, lightly mocking but not hiding the tenderness in his voice.
*"Every time you cried, I’d give you my shoulder to lean on."*
*"But you were so stubborn… you’d keep crying anyway. Just like now."*
As the flames wrapped around them, the shadows retreated.
Time fractured.
As if that moment was where past and present collided into a single line.
And Touya whispered, those broken lines from the past:
> *"I wrote your name in the stars,"*
*"Like a burned child’s prayer…"*
*"And I said:"*
*"‘God, don’t make him like our father."*
*"Make him a hero."*
*"But first…"*
*"Let him stay my brother.’"*
*"I wrote your name in the stars…"*
Shoto murmured to himself, voice trembling, eyes still wet:
> *"The Blue Fire… will return… one day…"*
Touya bowed his head.
His cheek almost touching his brother’s.
He spoke softly:
> *"And here I am."*
Shoto took a step closer.
The echoes of the past in his heart.
But Touya gently pulled away.
A fleeting touch, like a quiet farewell…
Then he turned his gaze to all the heroes.
The fire still burned, but Touya’s voice was now ice-cold:
> *"I didn’t want a world that didn’t want me."*
*"But my brother… I never left him to that world."*
*"This isn’t just your war."*
*"It’s my reckoning too."*
Chapter 21: *(Echoes of Shattered Stars)*
Summary:
Some wounds never heal. Some voices never fade. And some heroes… were they ever worth saving?
Chapter Text
Behind the Emeralds**
He stood a few steps before the stone throne. A massive structure of twisted, rusted metal and stone fused together… Was it a monument? A tomb? Or just a shadow built from madness?
His eyes traced the dark form.
He was exhausted. His knees had given out. But he was still standing.
Blood stained his hands. Drops slid slowly between his fingers, falling onto the stone floor like an irregular melody.
A crimson streak ran from the corner of his nose, mingling with his lips as they twisted into a psychopathic smile.
*"It's done,"* he whispered.
*"Finally… complete."*
A footstep echoed from the darkness.
Someone leaned against the wall.
Touya.
His slumped shoulders swayed like cigarette smoke.
He crossed his arms, tilting his head.
> *"Brat… You actually did it, huh?"*
*"All those whispers, those riddles, that silence… Everyone was one step away from losing their minds."*
*"But it seems… you were already ten steps ahead."*
The boy’s eyes remained fixed on the dark creation.
He didn’t turn his head.
But his voice came:
> *"They didn’t understand. They still don’t."*
*"They thought they were broken… but they were never broken."*
*"Because they never held on in the first place."*
Touya smirked, narrowing his eyes. He stepped forward.
His footsteps echoed.
> *"Getting into this… was just a game at first."*
*"But for you, there’s no game left, is there?"*
*"Let me be honest… This side of you is starting to get scary."*
*"But at the same time… it’s kind of thrilling."*
The boy finally turned his head to look.
His eyes held a shattered star.
A belief teetering on the edge of madness, burning fiercely.
*"I broke,"* he said.
*"And sometimes… the broken ones carry the truest echoes."*
Touya shook his head.
*"Back to the cryptic talk. Sounding like an old man. Fine, go ahead… send your message. Let’s see who’s still alive and who’s already buried."*
The boy lowered his head. Pressed a button.
The mechanism in the tunnel whirred to life.
And the darkness answered with an emerald echo.
The damp air of the tunnel shifted suddenly.
Cold, dry, metallic—an eerie shiver ran through.
As if an ancient mechanism hidden within the stone walls had activated…
A faint tremor rose from beneath the ground.
And then—a voice.
At first, just a whisper.
A tone like a slithering snake, its speaker unknown.
It had no source, yet came from everywhere.
> *"Do your eyes still show you the past?"*
*"Or have you finally found the courage to look toward the future?"*
Katsuki froze. His shoulders tensed.
Sparks crackled in his palms, ready to explode.
*"That voice… again,"* he hissed through clenched teeth.
Shoto lifted his head, his breath shallow.
Jirou’s earjacks twitched, scanning the surroundings.
*"The source… It’s coming from inside the tunnel. Everywhere. It’s bouncing, trapped."*
Kirishima bristled, every hair on end.
*"This… this thing is mocking us."*
> *"You survived because you stuck together, didn’t you?"*
*"How noble it sounds…"*
*"But what about the future?"*
*"What will protect you then, heroes?"*
*"Friendship? Your oaths? Or that ancient question you still haven’t answered—"*
*"Who will you fight to save?"*
A hum rose from the tunnel walls.
As if the stones themselves were speaking, the shadows laughing.
> *"You seek the Starry Night."*
*"But first, you must go blind to the dark."*
*"I was not born in light."*
*"I grew in the shadows."*
*"And you…"*
*"Still believe you live under the sun."*
Katsuki lunged forward.
*"Where the hell are you?! If you know so much, why hide?!"*
*"Show your face!"*
A laugh echoed—hoarse, broken.
> *"My face?"*
*"You can’t even face your own reflections."*
*"You only wear the masks of your memories."*
At the tunnel’s end, an old projector flickered to life.
A faded image projected onto the dust-covered wall.
Katsuki squinted.
Shoto’s hand trembled involuntarily.
Uraraka gasped. *"This… this is—"*
Mina wiped her eyes mid-sentence. *"1-A… All of us together…"*
The image showed young hero trainees smiling.
All of them, side by side.
And in the center, at the front… a silhouette, darkened.
The face was unclear. But an outstretched hand remained.
As if still calling to them.
And then—one more thing happened.
From the stone wall, a small box was pushed out, falling to the ground.
A metal case.
Inside were three things:
A riddle.
A symbol.
And a broken clock, spinning like a compass.
Momo bent down and picked up the riddle.
Only one sentence:
> *"Who did you forget—yourself, or me?"*
Jirou barely found her voice.
*"He’s… not playing with us. He’s preparing us."*
Katsuki’s eyes were hollow.
But the tremor at the corner of his lips betrayed the cracks in his heart.
*"No… He’s still testing us."*
Shoto lowered his head.
*"He’s still watching."*
Uraraka folded the riddle slowly.
*"And we’re still searching for the answer."*
---
### **SCENE I — Exit from Headquarters**
The sky did not yet recognize morning.
Darkness hung like a thick fog over the underground walls. Silence, like a ghost from the night before, lingered on the stone floor. The air was heavy, words piling up on tongues—yet no one spoke. Everyone was thinking of that one sentence from the night:
> *"One among you… has already been sold."*
The fragment of the cape from the box still lay on the table. It still carried Aoyama’s perfume. But now, that scent was the memory of betrayal.
Katsuki walked silently toward the door, fists clenched. The old wounds on his knuckles had reopened.
Shoto followed behind him, still gripping his shoulder—no longer hiding the pain.
Momo was right behind him. She scanned the headquarters one last time—the traces between the shelves, an old photo fading into dust. A moment when everyone had once smiled. Now, only shadows laughed.
Kirishima waited by the door, leaning against the stone. But his eyes… his eyes looked like they were drowning.
Denki walked with his head down. Jirou’s earjacks were silent. Tsuyu said nothing, but her gaze held a shaken faith.
And Uraraka… clutched a small card tightly. A single word was written on it:
> *"Rise."*
One by one, they stepped through the door. The symbols on the walls faded one after another. Explosion. Ice and Fire. Frog. Earphone Jack. Acid. Logic. Tape. Justice.
One by one, they vanished. The lights of the past dissolved into darkness.
When they stepped outside, the air was sharp and cold. The earth greeted them like strangers. The city was no longer just ruins—it was a trap.
A wind rose in the distance. But this was no ordinary wind.
---
### **SCENE II — The Commission’s Attack & The Return of the Blue Flame**
The first light of dawn did not reach these lands.
Katsuki led the way. Beneath his feet, shattered tiles marked what were once streets. Silence echoed like an old curse in their mouths—each one suppressing their own doubts, their footsteps blending together.
Then, suddenly—
A sound.
Sharp. Mechanical. Familiar.
*"TARGET ACQUIRED."*
From behind the shifting rubble, lights appeared first. Then armored units. The Commission’s sealed black ops squads—cleaners unseen for years—surrounded them. Their masks bore an old insignia: the silenced emblem of the Justice Department.
Katsuki immediately took position.
*"EVERYONE, SCATTER—!"*
But they were too late. Light bursts, gas canisters, and electromagnetic nets rained down from all sides.
Jirou hit the ground. Tsuyu pulled Uraraka back. Kirishima shattered a wall with his body, only to be thrown back by the next wave. Momo countered with devices from her bag. Denki’s electricity crackled, his words disjointed: *"This… this is an execution!"*
Shoto fell.
The old wound on his shoulder reopened.
As his knees hit the ground, he pressed his hands into the dirt. In that breathless moment—the air suddenly turned blue.
Silence came with the fire.
A pillar of flame split the sky.
But it wasn’t orange or yellow.
It was blue—aching, mad, resentful.
Shoto lifted his head.
The world around him burned—but it was cold.
The fire wasn’t scorching his body—it was searing his memories.
A figure appeared atop the ruins.
Snow-white hair whipped in the wind.
His body was burned—but he had not fallen.
> *"Tell me, little brother…"*
*"Will we burn together this time?"*
It was Touya.
No longer a Todoroki—just an echo of an older destruction.
Shoto’s eyes widened.
Every scream, every flame, every curse he’d heard as a child—all returned at once.
His hands trembled.
His eyes watered.
Katsuki roared:
*"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?! SHOTO! GET UP!"*
But Shoto’s knees remained rooted to the ground.
The blue flames didn’t engulf them—they shielded them.
The Commission’s ammunition melted midair before detonating.
For a moment, everything froze.
Touya turned his gaze to Katsuki.
*"I’m just setting the stage. You’re the one who explodes, Blasty."*
Then, he took a step back.
As the flames receded, his voice echoed:
> *"You’ve grown too big to recognize your own home."*
*"But now… everything will start over."*
And in that moment…
The Fallen Hero appeared.
Just a shadow. A glimpse on a broken wall.
Not Izuku’s voice this time—but the silence he left behind was just as sharp.
---
### **Under the Blue Flames: The Echo of a Brother**
When the flames tore through the sky, Shoto’s world went silent.
There were screams, yes. Explosions, cries for help, the crushing noise of the Commission’s armored units. But above it all, one voice cut through:
> *"Get up, Shoto."*
Touya.
And eyes that burned like his own—yet never extinguished.
Shoto’s heart recognized him without a name.
The language of fire was the distorted echo of brotherhood.
Touya spoke—only to Shoto.
> *"You’ve grown,"* he said.
*"But you still can’t lift your head and look up."*
The voice came from years ago.
From a burning child’s room. From the shadow of a rotted hero. From a forgotten brotherhood.
Touya stood atop the ruins.
But his face held no rage—only mockery.
A distortion that had long passed pain, standing at the edge of mad laughter.
Shoto lifted his head. His eyes flickered slightly.
When their gazes met, the chain of the past collapsed onto his shoulders.
> *"What’s wrong, little brother?"*
*"Fallen to your knees again? Did our father not teach you how to be a hero?"*
*"Or… have you only half-burned by now?"*
Shoto’s lips parted. But no words came.
Shoto trembled despite the heat.
Touya’s voice was angry, yes—but beneath it lay a weary sorrow.
> *"What’s wrong, little brother?"*
*"You became a star among heroes… so why do your eyes still shake like a child’s?"*
*"Father blessed you. He didn’t even speak my name."*
Touya took a step forward.
The flames shifted beneath his feet, as if shaped by his breath.
His voice was heavier this time, more shattering:
> *"I burned for you. Remember?"*
*"While I was charring… you were in our mother’s arms, playing with a stuffed bear."*
*"I lost my eyelids just to make your eyes shine."*
*"And still… they said, ‘You’re the best, Shoto.’ Not me."*
Shoto’s heart clenched.
The heat on his face was the sweat of deep shame.
His legs gave out.
He collapsed like a child.
The flames crackled. Touya stepped closer.
The blue tongue of the night shaped itself around him.
> *"You know, Shoto… sometimes I watched you. Hiding. No one knew."*
*"You had laughter. Smiles. Friends. Everything I ever dreamed of…"*
*"But… I didn’t just envy you."*
*"I missed you."*
Shoto’s eyes welled up. In that moment, the entire war seemed to pause.
> *"While I burned, I thought of you. Funny, isn’t it?"*
*"Even in pain, I wondered about you. Was Father still hurting you? Were you cold? Hungry? Was anyone protecting you?"*
Touya’s voice cracked for a second.
But he recovered quickly.
Covering his fragility with madness.
> *"And now here we are. You’re still on the ground. I’m still a burning curse."*
*"But I wanted you to know…"*
*"If I ever burned you… it would’ve been to protect you from yourself."*
Shoto had collapsed. His knees pressed into the stones, his vision blurred with tears.
Katsuki’s voice cut through like lightning:
> *"SHUT THE HELL UP! WHAT KIND OF BULLSHIT IS THIS?!"*
Touya laughed.
A thin, broken laugh on the edge of insanity:
> *"Get up, little brother."*
*"If you’re going to kill me… do it while looking me in the eye."*
*"But if you’re still busy seeking Father’s approval… then just burn."*
And in that moment…
Touya spread his arms.
The blue flames engulfed everything—except Shoto.
This wasn’t a physical attack.
This was a reminder of the past.
And Shoto burned within that memory.
But Shoto couldn’t answer.
Because Touya’s voice still rang in his ears:
> *"They poured more salve on your half-scar than they ever did on my corpse."*
The sky had gone silent.
Even the earth seemed to hold its breath.
---
In the silence left by the Commission’s attack, only one thing spoke:
The flames.
Blue.
Bright.
As much a reminder as they were a scorch.
Touya had encircled them in a ring of fire.
The flames curled like a starless sky, tearing through the dark, each spark carrying an echo of the past.
And at the center of that circle… Shoto knelt.
His shoulders shook.
His hands pressed into the ground, his forehead nearly touching the dirt.
Tears fell into the earth, glistening in the blue light.
Touya approached silently.
Shoto barely felt his steps, but he recognized his brother in the heat of that fire.
When he lifted his head, he saw a face that reminded him of how things were before everything shattered.
Touya knelt.
Facing Shoto.
He wiped away that single tear with the back of his hand—a touch passionate, loving, and gentle.
He smiled.
> *"You’re crying again,"* Touya said, lightly mocking but not hiding the tenderness in his voice.
*"Every time you cried, I’d give you my shoulder to lean on."*
*"But you were so stubborn… you’d keep crying anyway. Just like now."*
As the flames wrapped around them, the shadows retreated.
Time fractured.
As if that moment was where past and present collided into a single line.
And Touya whispered, those broken lines from the past:
> *"I wrote your name in the stars,"*
*"Like a burned child’s prayer…"*
*"And I said:"*
*"‘God, don’t make him like our father."*
*"Make him a hero."*
*"But first…"*
*"Let him stay my brother.’"*
*"I wrote your name in the stars…"*
Shoto murmured to himself, voice trembling, eyes still wet:
> *"The Blue Fire… will return… one day…"*
Touya bowed his head.
His cheek almost touching his brother’s.
He spoke softly:
> *"And here I am."*
Shoto took a step closer.
The echoes of the past in his heart.
But Touya gently pulled away.
A fleeting touch, like a quiet farewell…
Then he turned his gaze to all the heroes.
The fire still burned, but Touya’s voice was now ice-cold:
> *"I didn’t want a world that didn’t want me."*
*"But my brother… I never left him to that world."*
*"This isn’t just your war."*
*"It’s my reckoning too."*
Chapter 22: A Name Written in the Stars
Summary:
Death?"That was only the beginning."
What walks through fire yet sleeps in ice?"...
❄️🔥
Chapter Text
In the Darkness of Night**
The heroes emerge from headquarters, their heavy footsteps blending into the silence as an eerie tension swirls around them. Suddenly, their breaths catch at the figure that appears before them. Touya, who was declared dead eight years ago, stands alive and unbroken amidst blue flames.
Katsuki’s eyes sharpen instantly, his fists clenching.
*"You… were dead! How are you here?"* he shouts, his voice thick with both fury and shock. Kirishima steps back, unable to hide his fear as his gaze scans Touya, analyzing him.
Touya’s lips curl into a tired yet merciless smile.
*"Death? It’s not that simple, kids,"* he says. *"Sometimes, death is just a new beginning."*
His gaze deepens, as if reflecting the heroes’ deepest fears. *"What do you think? This world you built with your own hands… is far darker than you realize."*
Shoto forces himself forward, his steps heavy. His eyes narrow, his voice cracking:
*"You… Touya-nii, you were alive? You died—how is this possible? I—I thought you died because of me in that battle!"*
The harshness in Touya’s expression softens. He kneels, gently wiping the tear trailing down Shoto’s cheek.
*"I wrote your name in the stars, Shoto,"* he murmurs, his voice as soft as an old lullaby.
*"'God, don’t make him like our father. Make him a hero. But first… let him remain my brother.'"*
His eyes hold both hope and despair. *"Did you forget? The blue fire will return. But first… you must face the darkness inside you."*
Touya glances around, his expression twisting in disgust at the fallen Commission soldiers littering the ground.
*"These filth… the darkest page of your lives. And with each passing day, they rot this world further."*
The revulsion in his voice is unmistakable, his words testing the resolve in the heroes’ eyes. *"What have you been doing all these years? Instead of fighting your own fears, you’ve been protecting this corrupt system."*
When he mentions Hawks and *"that stupid red bird,"* his tone carries a mocking, weary affection:
*"Hawks might not be as useful as the Commission wanted. But remember this—he protected Shoto. All these years, he kept his promise. That alone is worth something… maybe the most valuable thing of all."*
Then, from the shadows, the Fallen Hero steps forward. His mocking smile sweeps over them, his voice a piercing shriek in the night:
*"Once again, you’re here because of the Commission’s filthy games. You united, you survived. But what about the future? Will you escape then?"*
His gaze targets their weakest points. *"Your trust is fragile—because betrayal lives among you."*
Katsuki, his hackles raised, snarls at Touya:
*"What the hell are you talking about? What betrayal? Where the hell is this leading?!"*
As Kirishima tries to calm him, Touya closes his eyes and exhales deeply.
*"We’re not talking about an unknown enemy, Blasty. The seeds of betrayal were planted long ago. And now… they’re sprouting."*
Shoto’s chest tightens, Touya’s words echoing in his mind.
The Fallen Hero steps forward again, his tone dripping with mockery:
*"You’ll know who the traitor is. And when you do… they’ll leave you defenseless against the real enemy."*
The tension in the air thickens. Trust shatters. Friendships are questioned. Eyes lock—each hero wrestling with their own storm.
---
**Under the Blue Flame**
The sky looked shattered. Smoke mingled with scorched earth as if time itself had summoned the ashes of the past. The flames devoured the night, blue fire encircling them like a barrier. The heat wasn’t suffocating—no, it was a slow burn, seeping under the skin like the cold memories of yesterday.
Shoto knelt, his fingers clawing at the dirt. When his eyes met his brother’s silhouette, the child inside him stirred. His trembling hand reached out… grasping Touya’s sleeve. Time seemed to loop back on itself.
*"Don’t go,"* he whispered, the weight of years choking him. *"Nii-san… don’t disappear again."*
Touya’s eyes gleamed—not from the fire, but from something deeper. The pure love of two brothers who once shared toys, who clung to each other in the dark. But behind his gaze, another memory surfaced.
---
*Their father’s retreating footsteps shook the hallway. Little Shoto’s wound still burned. Touya wiped the blood from his brow with a cloth, then silently pulled him close.*
*"Don’t go," Shoto had begged. "Please… don’t leave me alone."*
*Touya never forgot that moment. He’d promised, "I’ll never leave you."*
*And yet… he had.*
---
Now, Touya looked at the brother who stood before him like a ghost of the past. He knelt beside him, gripping his own chest as if holding his heart.
*"Shoto,"* he murmured. *"I never let go. I was silenced. But I never forgot your face."*
Shoto’s eyes were dull, like a starless sky. But he, too, carried a memory.
---
*Touya once told him a story as he tried to lull him to sleep:*
*"Once, there was a flame that belonged to no one… Not to kings, not to monsters. Just a child born of ice. The blue fire would return one day. And when it did… it would embrace the child of fire and ice. No one would ever hurt him again."*
---
*"The tale came true,"* Shoto said, tears falling freely. *"But you left… and we were never whole again."*
Touya bowed his head, brushing away a tear. *"As long as you hold onto me, I’m still here. But I have to go, Shoto… just not yet."*
From the flames, another figure emerged—the Fallen Hero.
*"Of course he must leave,"* he said, his voice like wind through a graveyard. *"But before he does… we’ll leave you one last gift. Another riddle… another clue."*
A compass of light formed in his palm, symbols dancing before the heroes’ eyes. The Fallen Hero turned to Shoto:
*"This is the legacy he leaves you."*
Then, Touya slowly removed the chain from his neck. At its end hung a pendant—fire and ice intertwined. As he fastened it around Shoto’s neck, his fingers lingered on his brother’s shoulders.
He whispered:
*"I wrote your name in the stars,*
*Like a burnt child’s prayer…*
*And I said:*
*God, don’t make him like our father.*
*Make him a hero.*
*But first…*
*Let him remain my brother."*
Shoto couldn’t stop the tears. *"Then what about you?"* he asked. *"What happens to you? Where will you be?"*
Touya smiled—a bittersweet, knowing thing. *"Look to the stars. The blue fire will rise from there again."*
As he turned to leave, Shoto suddenly grabbed his sleeve—just like when they were children.
*"Don’t go,"* he pleaded. *"Nii-san, please… I can’t be alone again."*
Touya’s eyes welled up. But this time, it wasn’t sorrow—it was understanding.
Another memory flashed before him: Little Shoto, dragged away by their father for training, whispering *"don’t go"* in the night. Back then, he’d been too weak to hold on. Now, he had the strength—but time had run out.
*"Leave me in the stars,"* Touya said softly. *"But I promise… I’ll return."*
As the Fallen Hero faded into the dark, he left behind one last riddle—a whisper that carved a new path for the broken heroes:
*"When a heart is washed in blood,*
*It alone can open truth’s door.*
*But to reach the stars…*
*You must speak the name of brotherhood once more."*
Only the rustle of burnt leaves remained. And in their chests, the weight of a pendant—a reminder:
*What the flames consume can return…*
*If someone still waits.*
---
**The Commission’s Stronghold — On the Edge of Madness**
In a dark room, cold metal walls hummed under the flickering glow of monitors. The Commission’s higher-ups seethed with the rage of defeat.
*"They failed. Again."*
A man slammed his fist on the table. *"Ground Zero, Red Riot, and Todoroki are still alive. Unacceptable!"*
A cold-eyed woman clenched her hands. *"Our targets have multiplied. It’s not just those three anymore—the number of heroes has grown. Our operations must expand."*
Another voice, darker, more unhinged, rose: *"We must destroy them. All of them. Every ally at their backs. This isn’t a war—it’s extermination!"*
Photos of heroes, maps, and intelligence files flashed across the screens.
*"Ground Zero, Red Riot, and Todoroki are just the beginning. Now, Uraraka, Kirishima, Denki, Mina, Sero… They’re all targets."*
The deranged Commission leader snarled: *"Every failure is a risk! Double the execution squads. Ready the machines! We won’t stop until this is finished!"*
The room plunged into darkness—save for a single, icy light.
*"There’s no turning back now,"* the woman murmured, her eyes burning with grim determination. *"Those who stand against us will be crushed or erased."*
Then, from the shadows, the Fallen Hero’s voice slithered through:
*"We must be ready… before they come. This time, none of them will escape."*
---
**In the Silence of the Stars**
The flames had only just died.
The earth still warm, the sky still silent.
But what truly burned now were those left behind.
The heroes huddled among the wreckage. The cold after the blue fire had seeped into their bones—into their souls. No one spoke. Words would make it real.
Shoto sat on his knees, head bowed. The pendant around his neck—fire and ice entwined—trembled in his grip. Touya had clasped it there himself. His touch still lingered on Shoto’s skin, his voice still echoed in his ears.
*"I have to let you go…"* his brother had said.
But he was gone. Again.
Shoto closed his eyes. Behind his eyelids, his father’s harsh footsteps echoed. A memory surfaced—a dark house, a child’s plea.
*"Don’t go."*
Little Shoto’s voice reached for Touya.
*"Please… don’t leave me alone."*
Touya had left that day, too. For medicine, he’d claimed. But Shoto had known—some departures weren’t about healing. They were about abandonment.
Now, years later, the same word had left his lips:
*"Don’t go…"*
But he was gone.
The blue fire had vanished, leaving only darkness.
A tear slid down Shoto’s face, landing on the pendant.
The child of flames had left him a story.
The days of lullabies and shared stars felt like a distant dream.
But the weight of the pendant made it real.
His brother *had* returned.
And he had left again.
Nearby, Kirishima leaned against the wall, his fists clenched hard enough to bleed. Uraraka curled into herself, muffling her sobs. Denki’s face was blank—lost in emptiness. Momo hugged her knees, hiding her face. Sero traced lines in the dirt, silent. Mina’s shoulders shook. Everyone was silent. Everyone was broken.
And Katsuki…
He stood alone, as always.
But this time, *truly* alone.
Back against the wall, his eyes stared into the dark. He’d shouted at those voices, at those vanishing silhouettes. But now, he was silent. His fists still bled.
In that moment, they all understood.
Touya had returned.
Betrayal had seeped into their ranks.
The Fallen Hero was still watching.
And this war… had only just begun.
---
**Meanwhile, in the Shadows**
In a pitch-black room, two figures stood facing each other—one bearing the weight of the past, the other with eyes sharp enough to cut. The air between them was tense, fragile.
An old painting hung on the wall—two children. One small, sheltered in protective arms. The other’s eyes held love… and a vow.
The first figure traced the younger face in the painting. His expression was a mix of pain and hope.
Silence stretched. Finally, the second spoke, voice rough:
*"You got what you wanted. The blue fire rose. Now what?"*
The first smiled faintly—a smile that hid depths.
*"What just happened… left an unexpected weight. The chaos of emotions made the chains of the past feel real again."*
*"I watched,"* the other said, voice hard but brittle. *"Every word, every move. This isn’t a game. It’s a war—woven with our lives, our memories, our burdens."*
Fingers brushed the painting.
*"The past isn’t just time. It’s a shadow we can’t shake… and a light that gives us strength."*
The second closed his eyes, recalling a memory—a child’s plea in the dark, a brother’s silent promise.
*"Don’t go. Don’t leave me alone."*
That moment had bound them. Now, in the uncertainty of the future, the same words echoed.
The first figure exhaled.
*"The war ahead isn’t just against outsiders. We must face the betrayal within."*
*"And that darkness… sometimes comes from those closest to us,"* the other replied. *"But with the strength of the past… we’ll light those shadows."*
The painting watched them—two children, now holding each other again. Unspoken vows, broken dreams, unshaken hope.
As they locked eyes, the bond between them reforged. A silent promise:
*"Even if you must go… you’ll return. And when that day comes, fire and ice will merge. No one will hurt us again."*
---
**The Fallen Hero’s Whisper**
*"The threads of time unravel…*
*Darkness will soon swallow you all.*
*This time, the battle isn’t against enemies—*
*But the betrayal festering within."*
The Fallen Hero’s voice slithered through the room, warping the air with each word. His eyes gleamed—no longer just a warning, but a glimpse into the abyss of his madness. Was he even alive? Yes, but in a way far removed from life, buried deep in shadows.
From the darkness, a throne long empty was now claimed. A silhouette moved—commanding, suffocating. And beside him, a smaller figure, cradled like the world’s last anchor. A brother—one who bore not just bonds, but scars.
The younger one’s smile was unhinged, almost psychopathic—far beyond what the lost child of the past could’ve imagined. A trickle of blood from his nose added a chilling reality. His brother wiped it away—a touch tender yet threatening.
A mocking voice cut the silence:
*"Brat, you’re climbing the peak of madness. Seeing you like this makes me wonder if you’ve lost it completely."*
But the younger one answered, voice icy calm:
*"Not madness… just the moment when truth is revealed. Now, let me whisper new riddles—ones that carry the darkest secrets."*
Each word coiled around them like a curse. Riddles, secrets, threats—all weaving a weight upon the heroes. The Fallen Hero’s laughter, laced with power, promised a darker future.
Danger loomed. The game reset.
A brother’s protective touch was also a chain.
And that smile?
The beginning of an endless war.
---
**The Final Riddle**
*"The root of betrayal lies in the deepest soil.*
*Behind the brightest faces, the darkest masks hide.*
*They will die not tomorrow… but today.*
*And none will be left behind."*
The voice came from the darkest corner. A figure with hair as pale as night stepped forward, eyes like a stormy sea. His presence was leadership, calm, and ruin.
The younger one, unfazed by the blood from his nose, smirked.
*"That’s why I leave them new riddles. Let them fear. Let them break. The Fallen Hero is back in play. The game begins anew."*
He lifted his head, whispering:
*"'The closest hand strikes the deepest.*
*The greatest wound hides in the silent scream.*
*Who is ally, who is foe?*
*You’ll never know… until you face the mirror within.'"*
The white-haired man’s eyes darkened, feeling the weight of those words. He looked at his brother—in that mad smile lay both prophecy and curse. Together, they pulled the strings of fate, woven with the darkest secrets of the past.
---
Chapter 23: Whispers in the Dark & Echoes of the Betrayed
Summary:
Some chains are a burden... but others remind us of brotherhood⛓️💥🔗⛓️
Chapter Text
When a spark-like glint appeared in his eyes, the echo of the fallen hero's whispered words still hung in the air. The new information, the new threat... The madness of the Commission, the corruption of the crumbling system... It all weighed heavily on his mind like an anchor.
But the child’s back was no longer bent.
"So that’s why they came," he murmured, his voice as cold as the shadows on the walls. "To silence us again. To erase us again."
Just then, a shadow slid silently from the depths of the room. A figure with white hair cascading softly over their shoulders, footsteps light yet resolute. As they walked, time itself seemed to slow for a moment. Their eyes held a calmness forged from fury, their lips a gentleness carried from the past.
The smaller figure leaned into that shadow; when his head touched their shoulder, a dark comfort spread through the room. This was a familiar embrace. This was the weight of trust between two souls who had chosen brotherhood in war. The white-haired man bowed his head, gently brushing his fingers against his brother’s forehead, then wiping away the thin trail of blood from his nose with his index finger. There was no shame in his gaze for failing to protect him—only gratitude that he could still hold him close.
"Brother..." the younger one said, his voice cracking yet decisive.
The man shook his head. "Stay calm. It’s not time yet."
The fallen hero at the edge of the room watched them silently. Then, in that hazy tone of his, he spoke again:
"The Commission’s shadow grows larger. Some they silenced, others they imprisoned. But their list has swelled. It’s not just Red Riot, not just Ground Zero... now they want all of you. They want a purge from the roots."
The boy’s eyes darkened, then flashed as if ignited. He gripped the chain around his neck. A sleek yet elegant ring rested against his skin, spreading an icy chill. Shigaraki wore the same one—identical in make, in craftsmanship... only one was darker, the other bearing a pale gleam. Both were old. And both marked a bond.
"Not every chain is a burden," the boy whispered. "Some remind us of brotherhood."
Shigaraki looked at him with a bitter smile. "But some are chains—don’t forget that."
Then, abruptly, the boy turned toward the wall, his voice sharpening. He took a step forward. His eyes gleamed in the dim light as he smiled. "A time for new riddles," he said. "And this time, it’ll be bloodier."
Without turning back, he cast a glance at the fallen hero. "You whisper the first word," he said. "Let them feel that something has changed."
The fallen hero stepped forward. His eyes narrowed, his voice needle-sharp:
> *"If red flowing isn’t blood,*
*then who paints a true hero?*
*And when does a hero*
*become their own executioner?"*
As the words echoed through the room, the boy turned his face to Shigaraki and smiled again. Beneath that dark smile lay everything: ruin, reckoning, vengeance... and the awaited day.
"The storm coming for us... is us now."
And then silence enveloped them once more.
---
**"From the Ashes" – Transition Scene**
The ashes still danced in the air. The blue traces Touya had left still seemed to sear the earth beneath. After the flames died, all that remained was desolate silence. That silence, for a moment, reminded them all of the weight of the past.
Shoto remained on his knees, his hands still reaching for the chain around his neck. His brother’s warmth, the cracks in his voice, the pain of his departure... it all still burned in his chest. When he lifted his head, he saw the faces gathered around him: Momo’s hand on his back, Jirou’s tearful eyes, Kirishima’s still-trembling fists.
They were broken. But they were together.
"He didn’t leave... This time, he didn’t really leave," Shoto whispered, his fingers still curled around the chain.
Katsuki stepped closer, dark circles under his eyes, yet his voice held an unexpected softness:
"We’re here, you wounded bastard. If that blue nonsense didn’t leave you alone this time... then we sure as hell never did."
And with those words, something unraveled inside them. The silence gave way, slowly, to a rising resolve. Tsuyu, Iida, Denki, Mina... One by one, they stood, leaning on each other—perhaps for the first time, truly.
---
**🔄 Relocation – Distrust**
The hidden base was no longer safe. The Commission’s steps, hands, and shadows moved far too quickly now. After what had happened, they were forced to relocate again. This time, to an underground cellar beneath a ruined temple—an uncharted refuge.
There, before collapsing between the stone walls, they exchanged one last look.
---
**🕯️ And the Riddle is Whispered Again**
The lights flickered. Like an old candle...
And suddenly, the air turned cold. The ground trembled faintly.
*"...There is one who walks in the shadow of all things. What you thought was lost, everything reunites where the traces remain. Who betrayed you? Are you still not searching?"*
The voice seemed to rise from beneath the earth itself.
The Fallen Hero had appeared once more. As his silhouette emerged from the shadows, everyone straightened at once. His face was obscured, but the melancholy in his voice was almost suffocating.
*"You’re busy chasing clues, but you don’t understand. These riddles aren’t to guide you... but to confront you. To see the direction of ruin, you must first look within."*
At that moment, Shoto stood. His eyes were still red.
"Enough!" he said. "What do you want from us?"
The Fallen Hero paused. Then, slowly, he approached, stopping right in front of Shoto.
*"The truth. The truth you’ve all run from, tried to bury, tried to silence. And the whisper of a child you’ve forgotten."*
Then, from his pocket, he drew an old, burnt scrap of fabric—a piece of Aoyama’s cape.
And he whispered a new riddle:
*"There was one who followed the stars. But their eyes were blinded by lies. Who blinded them?"*
The darkness of the sky was trapped within the narrow, cold walls of the underground cellar. Only a few dim lights seeped through the ancient stones, casting trembling shadows that heightened the tension. The heroes, gathered around old maps, notes, and clues, wrestled with words, each new detail thickening the web of mystery.
*"This symbol... contradicts the inscription here."*
*"But there’s another mark on the other side of the map—don’t overlook it."*
*"The Commission is definitely hiding something here, but what?"*
Then, unnoticed, a shadow perched motionless on the iron beams above. The Fallen Hero. Watching them with silent, icy eyes. Sometimes his lips curled slightly, other times he exhaled deeply, speaking in a mocking tone.
*"Ah, how adorably you struggle,"* he said softly, yet sharply. *"But do you know? You’re on the wrong path. You still don’t even grasp the meaning of that symbol."*
The heroes exchanged glances; his presence was unsettling. But what could they do? They lacked the strength to drive him away. His very existence stirred a quiet dread within them.
Shoto stepped forward, eyes fixed on the darkness:
"You’re playing games with us—but why? What’s your goal?"
The Fallen Hero shrugged lightly:
*"My goal? You’ll find the answer when you begin to know yourselves. I’m merely... dimming the light a little more."*
Sometimes, he’d nod subtly at a crucial clue they found, as if guiding them. Other times, he’d smirk, trying to mislead.
*"Think carefully,"* he’d whisper occasionally. *"Betrayal often hides in the closest places."*
Then, suddenly, he’d fall silent, melting back into the shadows.
His presence kept them on edge, exposing every move they made. Yet, to avoid unnecessary attention, they often forced themselves into silence. Still, deep down, they all knew—as long as the Fallen Hero’s shadow loomed over them, nothing would ever be truly safe.
Katsuki paused, his gaze lifting to the dark corner of the ceiling:
"Somewhere... this game has to end. But we still don’t know where."
And in that moment, the Fallen Hero’s thin voice echoed through the icy air of the room:
*"A game with no end... But when certain pieces fall into place, everything changes."*
---
As the Fallen Hero’s final words faded, a heavy silence settled. The unease in their hearts quickened their pulses. Uraraka was the first to break the quiet, her voice shaky but firm:
*"Pieces... What could he mean by pieces?"*
Katsuki stared at her, unblinking, his tone sharp yet thoughtful:
"I don’t know, but... there’s a bigger plan in this game. We have to trace the Commission’s steps. Or we’ll all be torn apart."
Momo took a deep breath, fingertips brushing her notebook:
"We need to piece the clues together. This isn’t just a physical battlefield—it’s a mental one. Every symbol, every map is a piece... They’ll make sense when assembled."
Denki frowned slightly, grinning weakly:
"So our job’s not easy, but at least we have a path. We have to remember what the betrayal was. We have to find those pieces."
Shoto exhaled heavily, fingers touching his necklace. Its weight wasn’t just metal—it carried the past and the fears of the future:
"We’re exhausted from the riddles. But we can’t give up. Because our enemies aren’t just outside... They’re within us too."
Iida, standing rigid and serious, interjected:
"Our priority is organization. Against the Commission’s schemes, we must protect each other. If we don’t move as one, we’ll fall one by one."
Jirou twitched her earlobes slightly:
"We need to control our emotions, stay calm. But that’s hard with so much uncertainty."
Mina steadied herself:
"Each of us could be a weakness. But also a strength. In this chaos, our greatest support is each other."
The heroes began to regroup. Their fear and suspicion were tempered by the trust they still held for one another.
Then, the Fallen Hero stepped closer, his mocking smile now laced with something like approval:
*"Marvelous. But this is only the beginning. When the pieces fall, everything will be overturned. Seeing who’s friend and who’s foe... will be most entertaining."*
Katsuki clenched his fists:
"We won’t let your games go any further."
The Fallen Hero tilted his head slightly, eyes burning like embers:
*"Then let’s begin. You try to assemble the pieces. I’ll show you... the shadow play."*
And with that, the shadow dissolved into the darkness.
---
The shadows stretched slowly across the dark room. The Fallen Hero, perched on the iron beams above, watched with amusement as the heroes struggled—their unsolved secrets festering inside them.
Suddenly, he raised his hand. The dim lights flickered, and a massive, screen-like darkness materialized. Shadows danced across it, a performance with him as the sole puppeteer. Every movement, every word was layered with hidden meaning.
The heroes watched, hollow-eyed. Riddles, taunts, and provocations swirled together. The Fallen Hero tested them, all while smirking, advancing his "shadow play."
Yet in the darkest corner of the stage, unnoticed by most, a slender silhouette moved. A hidden specter, like a secret the heroes didn’t know. Its presence foreshadowed the great betrayal soon to unfold.
As the Fallen Hero’s fingers traced the air, the shadows formed a city skyline—towering buildings, spires, then crumbling ruins. The heroes knew this was their past... and their future. Among the rubble, small figures darted—helpless civilians, desperate heroes.
Then, a group of figures emerged, holding torches. But the light couldn’t dispel the dark. Their faces were blurred—symbols, clues.
Uraraka’s eyes welled—one figure collapsed, pleading. Momo studied a triangle shape, whispering: *"Interconnected, but three must unite."*
Denki calculated rapidly; Jirou strained to hear the rhythm in the shadows: *"This isn’t just a show. There’s music in it—a code."*
Shoto tensed as a shadowy figure slithered among the others, dividing them. Its symbol—a red bird. A traitor’s mark.
Iida steadied his breath: *"This is orchestrated. But by whom?"*
Then, a riddle appeared in the shadows:
*"Betrayal is closest to you. Beware the light hiding in darkness."*
A chill ran through them. The whispers from the shadows deepened the mystery, feeding their doubt.
Katsuki gritted his teeth, glaring at the shadowy box: *"Who betrayed us?"* Rage burned in his wet eyes.
The Fallen Hero smiled from above. *"Shadow plays... conceal true faces,"* he murmured. *"And you? You’re merely on the board. The real battle begins now."*
The heroes exchanged glances. None of them knew who to trust anymore. The secrets hidden in the shadows were their greatest enemy—or perhaps, their only ally.
Chapter 24: The Silent Scream of Shadows & "Three Doors, One Truth
Summary:
The serpent whispers in the language of fire—
but only the burned can understand its truth.
Beware, little heroes...
the greatest shadows are cast by the brightest flames."
-Fallen Hero-
Chapter Text
**The Fallen Hero**, grinning as he sits on the iron beams, watches the shadow play unfold. His eyes catch the mixture of emotions on Katsuki’s face and his rigid stance. With a mocking tone, he hints that some of the clues in the shadow play were actually aimed at him. In the only sentence where Katsuki’s name is mentioned, he weaves a thin veil of mystery:
*"He was born from a blazing fire, but the explosion within him still waits to be tamed. His shadow falls as it dances with the light; those who see his true face... are lost in their own flames."*
These words both enrage and wound Katsuki deep inside. He knows exactly who is being referred to, but his mind is clouded because he doesn’t know who the Fallen Hero is. The riddle subtly hints at **"Izuku"**, though it is never spoken aloud.
Katsuki murmurs quietly, almost to himself:
*"It’s not over with you... It was never over."*
---
### **The Shadow Play Continues: The Inner Voices and Dialogues of the Heroes**
The heroes fix their eyes on the childlike figure projected onto the wall, storms raging within them.
**Katsuki’s inner thoughts:**
*"This... it can’t be him... right? That kid... Izuku? But was he ever this fragile? No, this is messing with me. He couldn’t have been this weak."*
Katsuki furrows his brows, staring at the Fallen Hero’s face—questioning something within himself but refusing to voice it.
**Shoto’s inner thoughts:**
*"This child... is like my brother. But what I’m seeing here... it’s different. Pain, loneliness... There’s so much hidden. What truth lies behind these shadows?"*
Shoto silently watches the shadow, his fingers brushing against his necklace—his emotions as tangled as ever.
**Uraraka (aloud):**
*"This... It feels like... His struggle is connected to us too. Like we’re still fighting that same darkness."*
**Iida (sternly):**
*"Yes, this isn’t just about a child. There are secrets we haven’t been told. This is forcing us to confront our past."*
**Denki (anxiously):**
*"The Fallen Hero is hinting at something again, but what exactly are we supposed to understand? When will these riddles end?"*
The Fallen Hero smiles faintly from the background, continuing to manipulate the shadows with subtle hand movements.
**Momo (whispering):**
*"Riddles... Each one pulls us deeper. This child isn’t just a symbol—he’s like a key to our future..."*
Another figure emerges from the shadows—its face mostly concealed by a mask, though its long white hair remains visible.
*"Every hidden secret is revealed in due time. We stand in the shadow of the past. But remember—even the darkest moments herald the dawn."*
The heroes exchange glances, their hearts echoing with fear, hope, and uncertainty.
**Shoto (silently, to himself):**
*"That child is part of my life... my hope. His secret must be uncovered..."*
**Katsuki (sharply, louder):**
*"What are we supposed to do with these hidden truths? How much longer will this go on? I demand answers!"*
The Fallen Hero’s eyes glint with amusement before the curtain darkens momentarily.
---
### **Dream Sequence: Those Left in the Silence**
The heavy veil of sleep descended upon the shelter as silence enveloped the exhausted heroes. They were battered. Worn down. The weight of the riddles only deepened the hollowness in their chests. One of them muttered, *"We need to rest,"*—and no one objected.
As they succumbed to slumber, a lone figure perched on the iron beams above watched them. The Fallen Hero, his face half-buried in shadows, wore a threatening yet uneasy smile. A low whisper escaped his lips:
*"They may not wake from what they see... but their eyes will open to the truth."*
And so, the dream began.
They all awoke in the same place.
Silence.
Soft, familiar silence.
They were in the U.A. dormitories. But something was off. The furniture was covered in dust, the photos on the walls had faded, and the clock was frozen at **00:00**. The halls were quiet, but the walls themselves seemed to breathe.
Izuku’s silhouette stood with its back turned at the end of one of the corridors.
Katsuki, Shoto, Kirishima, Uraraka, Momo, Denki, Mina, Iida, Jirou, Tsuyu, Sero...
For a moment, they all saw it. Then the silhouette walked away.
And the heroes were scattered.
---
### **❖ Katsuki Bakugou: Among the Burnt Pages**
In a room with a broken door, Katsuki found an old notebook. The cover was partially legible:
**"Hero Analysis for the Future — Izuku M."**
The edges were still warm, as if freshly burned. When he opened it, familiar handwriting greeted him—pages filled with detailed notes analyzing his own Quirk.
And then… a mark appeared on the wall, as if rising from the darkness:
*"A serpent with emerald eyes coils around a chalice."*
Katsuki’s hand trembled. The voice he heard resembled the Fallen Hero’s, but softer, more intimate:
*"He has no name. But his voice still watches over you."*
---
### **❖ Shoto Todoroki: The Shadow of Fire and Ice**
When Shoto opened his eyes, he was clutching his necklace. The metal plate bore an old burn mark, but now a new engraving appeared: **a serpent**, its eyes green, its body coiled in deceit.
Before him stood Touya—but not the broken man he knew. This Touya carried the warmth of an older brother, his eyes free of hatred.
*"I wrote your name in the stars,"* he whispered like the wind. *"If the red bird returns... it will tell you what is real and what is a lie."*
Shoto’s tears fell. Then, from behind him, a single feather drifted down—**stained with blood.**
---
### **❖ Kirishima & Sero: The Echo of Betrayal**
Kirishima stood alone on a battlefield. Fallen comrades surrounded him—but their faces were blurred. Sero watched from afar.
A voice echoed:
*"The traitor is still among you. But the real question is—who trusted them the most?"*
Sero was dragged into a memory he never lived—Aoyama on a phone call, whispering, *"The plan is proceeding."* But he couldn’t see who was on the other end.
---
### **❖ Mina Ashido: A Forgotten Memory**
In her dream, Mina stood in a school hallway. Aoyama hung his head low, his voice echoing:
*"I have to do this... They’ll kill my family..."*
Mina’s breath hitched. She didn’t remember this moment—because **it had been erased.**
---
### **❖ Momo, Jirou, Iida, Tsuyu, and Denki: The Dark Layers of Truth**
Momo stood in a cold archive room, surrounded by Commission files. One document made her hands shake:
**"Midoriya Izuku — Category: Anomaly. Retrieval prevented. Code: Hebi no Koe (Voice of the Serpent)."**
Jirou remembered a **staged rescue mission**—where they unknowingly tested something on civilians.
Iida shouted, eyes shut: *"This isn’t justice! This is a monitored justice simulation!"*
Denki found a recording. A woman’s voice whispered:
*"The only way the Commission’s plan worked was if the heroes stayed silent."*
Then, a final murmur:
*"If the serpent returns... the truth will reveal itself."*
---
### **❖ The Final Vision: Beneath the Shadow**
Everything went dark.
A shadow play began. The Fallen Hero puppeteered scenes of the past in silence.
As the final curtain fell, a whisper echoed:
*"The child was born... but now the cradle burns."*
At the dream’s end, they were all alone in different paths.
But a shadow watched them.
The Fallen Hero observed from beyond, murmuring to himself:
*"The journey has begun, children... The doors of secrets are opening. Which of you will break first? And which of you... will dare to truly hear the serpent’s voice?"*
---
### **Dream: Shoto Todoroki**
When Shoto opened his eyes, the air was heavy—a foggy, dim haze surrounded him. He recognized this place: **his father’s old training room.**
Footsteps echoed behind him.
*"Shoto..."*
Touya stood there—not as a villain, but as a broken yet calm older brother. He extended his hand.
When Shoto took it, a vision appeared: **Izuku’s silhouette**, shouting at a man.
*"I don’t have a brother! I never did! Why are you telling me this now?!"*
Touya’s voice was soft.
*"Some truths come late, Shoto. But when they do... they change everything."*
Shoto’s necklace grew warm. **Ice and fire intertwined once more.**
---
### **Dream: Katsuki Bakugou**
Katsuki awoke in **Ground Beta**—but it was different. A ruined, silent wasteland.
A shadow ran past him. **Izuku.** Always just out of reach.
Then, Izuku stopped. Dropped a **burned notebook** at Katsuki’s feet.
Inside, only one line remained:
*"A hero... decides with his heart. But what if he loses it?"*
When Katsuki looked up, **childhood Izuku smiled at him—then vanished into the dark.**
---
### **Dream: Eijirou Kirishima**
Kirishima stood in a **hidden archive room**, listening to a recording:
*"Secret accord... Protocol No. 6... Targets: Class 1-A students under potential threat status..."*
The Commission’s voices discussed **eliminating heroes under the guise of security.**
Kirishima’s eyes widened.
*"It... started even back then."*
---
### **Dream: The Seven Heroes, Three Doors**
They awoke in a misty void. Before them stood **three doors**, each bearing a different symbol.
**1. The U.A. Door** (Mina, Sero, Denki)
The golden emblem cracked as they touched it. A whisper echoed:
*"Those who pass here leave behind a secret."*
The halls were empty—only a faint voice remained:
*"Who grew up in this school? Who was sacrificed?"*
**2. The Commission Door** (Momo, Iida)
The eye symbol **blinked** at them. Inside, shadowy figures spoke:
*"These children... are a threat. They could disrupt society’s order."*
**3. The Erased Door** (Uraraka, Tsuyu)
The symbol was **scratched out**. Inside, graffiti covered the walls—one depicting a lonely child. Words read:
*"Do not forget those eyes. The emerald-eyed serpent watches you."*
Then—**a massive shadow descended.**
A **chalice**, wrapped by an emerald-eyed serpent.
It **swallowed the three doors whole.**
A final whisper echoed:
*"There were three paths. Now only one remains. But those who walk it... must learn to love the shadows."*
Chapter 25: *"In the Shadow of Shattered Memory: The Oath of the Emerald Serpent"*
Summary:
When the chalice fills, it screams a name to the sky—
but who will hear the child the world erased?"🐍🍷
Chapter Text
Awakening – Eyes Opening to a Shattered Reality**
The first stir came with a muffled breath.
Katsuki's chest rose and fell unevenly, his muscles trembling as if on high alert. His face was slick with sweat, droplets tracing dirty trails down his forehead as one hand pressed firmly against his chest—as if confirming something was still there.
And it was. The notebook, charred with burn marks. The traces of sentences he had once painstakingly written still lingered on its cover. Now, it felt like a ghost of the past in his hands. The warmth of its cover still carried the scent of smoke, as if something within had never truly been extinguished.
But more than the notebook, it was the voice that seared his mind.
> *"You were never his hero. He chose you. So what did you do?"*
Katsuki’s eyes snapped open. His breath hitched. Where he had awoken was neither safe nor peaceful—just silent. And within that silence, only one thing echoed: guilt.
The others began to stir. Shoto was one of the first to move. His face was blank, his eyes still clinging to another reality. His hands clutched his pendant, fingers bone-white. His lips parted with a hoarse whisper:
*"My brother... showed me a memory. But... it can't be real. That kid... he was shouting at someone. 'You're not my brother,' he said. That voice... it's still ringing in my ears."*
Uraraka slowly sat up, rubbing her eyes. The remnants of tears still glistened in them.
*"I... saw a child,"* she murmured. *"Drawn on the walls. His eyes... were like emeralds. But... it was like no one ever noticed him. He thought he was invisible."*
Denki’s eyes were wide, his fear not fleeting but etched into his expression. Sero’s hand on his shoulder did little to steady him.
*"I... saw U.A. But it was empty. No sound. Like none of us... had ever existed."*
Kirishima was silent. But his fists—clenched as if ready to shatter a wall—betrayed him.
*"It was during an internship. I wasn’t supposed to enter that room, but... I heard it. A voice from the Commission: 'Choosing who to sacrifice is our job.' It echoed over and over."*
Mina flinched, as if someone’s breath had brushed her neck.
*"I saw Aoyama,"* she said. *"He was talking. But I couldn’t see who to. It was somewhere in the past, but... it also felt like now. Like we were all being watched."*
Iida and Momo exchanged glances before speaking, their gazes fixed on the ground.
Iida’s voice was hollow, yet turbulent.
*"A meeting... faceless men... they saw heroes as a threat. Not just us, but those before us too."*
Momo’s eyes narrowed, as if struggling to recall.
*"The door... whispered a name to us. But I forgot. Someone swore an oath. Paid a price... for us. Or instead of us."*
---
### A Breaking Point
Katsuki stood, his hands still shaking, but his eyes burned with resolve.
*"This notebook... it's his analysis journal. Burned, but... there are symbols inside. A chalice... a snake... and someone told me: 'You can’t save that child because you never knew him.'"*
Shoto lifted his head.
*"I saw the same child. But... he was screaming. Shattered. He didn’t believe in brotherhood."*
Tsuyu quietly interjected.
*"Then... we all saw the same silhouette. But no one spoke his name. His face... was erased from the dream. But his eyes... were watching us."*
---
### One Step Further – Into the Dark
Uraraka took a deep breath.
*"What if... this child... isn’t one of us? What if... he’s always been there, but we never noticed?"*
Denki stood.
*"The snake... the chalice... the three doors... it’s all connected. But we still can’t see the missing piece."*
Then—a heavy, metallic sound, like an iron curtain falling.
No one had touched anything. Yet, on one wall, a pattern emerged from the darkness:
An emerald-eyed serpent coiled around a glowing chalice. The symbol writhed in the shadows.
Then, three words etched themselves onto the wall:
> *"Three Doors. One Oath. The Secret of the Chalice."*
Silence fell.
Katsuki looked down at the notebook in his hands.
Shoto gripped his pendant.
And one of them whispered:
*"This was never just a dream."*
---
### The Shadow Play Begins
The shelter was steeped in silence, the weight of the dream pressing on their shoulders like an unseen burden. The Fallen Hero, perched silently on the rafters as always, raised his cane. A curtain of mist parted, revealing a scene.
**A shadow play began.**
In the darkness, a slender, almost living silhouette took shape—an emerald-eyed serpent. Its tail coiled around a chalice, its head raised high. Its eyes burned with a dazzling green light. As the heroes watched, shapes formed from its flickering tongue—a star, a door, then a triangle.
Then… three door-shaped silhouettes appeared:
The first was sealed with U.A.'s emblem. Beneath it, an ancient script:
*"What is built on faith rots from within."*
The second bore the Commission’s symbol. But cracks spiderwebbed across it, black liquid oozing through.
The third door was strange—it was crossed out. The mark was red. Above it, a withered handprint. Below, the words:
*"Truth is never forgotten. Only buried."*
The seven heroes had seen these doors in their dreams. Now, they loomed before them in reality.
The serpent’s shadow coiled around all three doors, swallowing them whole. Only one mark remained: a drop of blood.
Then… the scene shifted.
Shoto’s dream played out—a small child screaming in the dark:
*"You’re not my brother! How long will you keep up this lie?"*
The child’s voice cracked as he collapsed. Behind him, a flame-like figure flickered, faceless.
The Fallen Hero finally spoke, his voice a whisper from the abyss:
> *"Every drop spilled in the chalice is etched into the serpent’s memory. The three doors are locked with the tears of three children who turned their backs on each other. Now, one is gone, one is lost, and one thirsts for blood. But remember—emerald eyes choose the lie. And the lie becomes truth."*
Then, he vanished. Only the echo of his cane tapping the stone floor lingered.
And now… silence.
The heroes exchanged glances. It was time to speak—to weave together dreams, shadows, and truth.
For the unraveling had begun.
---
### Whispers from the Shadows
The projector’s whir filled the air as another scene unfolded on the wall.
A child walked, head bowed. No name, no face—just loneliness in his steps. A thin cape draped over his shoulders. Bare feet on cold ground.
Then, the serpent appeared. Slithering closer. Wrapping around him.
*"Is it protecting him…"* Uraraka murmured.
*"...or choking him?"* Jirou finished.
The three doors loomed in the background. The child reached for each—but each time, the serpent pulled him back.
*"He couldn’t enter…"* Tsuyu whispered.
*"He wasn’t allowed,"* Momo said. *"But why?"*
Then—a chalice. Empty. The serpent coiled around it, staring into its depths. A voice echoed, not from the shadows, but inside their minds:
> *"When the chalice is empty, no one is remembered. But when it fills… it will scream a name to the sky."*
Shoto shuddered. *"I heard it. That child… was saying a name. But the voice cut off."*
The serpent pressed its head to the child’s chest. The child fell to his knees.
The three doors watched.
And the serpent’s eyes flashed—not just emerald, but with a flicker of red.
Sero’s voice was barely audible.
*"What if… we’re already too late for this child’s story?"*
No one answered.
The projector died. The curtain lifted.
But the silhouette remained—burned into their minds.
The Fallen Hero’s voice slithered back one last time:
> *"He had no name.
But you once called him with a familiar voice.
And each of you denied it."*
Chapter 26: Legacy of Shadows: The Rings and the Betrayal
Summary:
Rings seal betrayals, serpents smother truth.
I was born to shatter that chalice."💍A hero listens first, then decides.
But no one ever taught me how to hear my own voice."**
*(The Serpent’s Silent Child)* 🐍
Chapter Text
The Serpent's Silence**
When the scene ended, no one spoke for a long time. The darkness that settled over the room when the projector fell silent wasn’t just visual—even the silence had a sound now. It was as if everyone had collectively held their breath and still didn’t dare to exhale.
Katsuki sat on the floor, elbows on his knees, head cradled in his hands. His skin was cold, the sweat beading on his forehead heavy, as if he had been running for hours. His voice was hoarse when he finally spoke:
*"That... that kid. Who was he? Why... does he feel familiar?"*
A broken notebook was still clutched between his fingers. Its corner was singed, but on the edge of one page, an unerased sentence remained:
> *"A hero listens first. Then decides."*
Shoto stared at the pendant in his hand. The inscription on the back of the stone was still unclear, but the words he had heard in his dream were etched into his mind:
> *"I wrote your name in the stars..."*
Touya’s voice still echoed in his ears.
And that boy—*"He’s not my brother!"*—had screamed.
Shoto turned his head.
*"The serpent,"* he said. *"It both protects and hides him... both a chain and a refuge. As for the chalice... maybe it was never filled. That’s why no one hears him."*
Momo stood up quietly. She had begun sketching the three doors in her notebook.
*"All three doors lead to different places,"* she murmured. *"But in the end, they all disappear into the same serpent. As if... all three paths somehow lead to the same end. Or the same darkness."*
Denki bit his lip.
*"The Commission... One of the doors bore their symbol. I... I was in an old room in my dream. Someone was talking. They said, ‘We must silence his voice.’ But who was this ‘him’?"*
Iida bowed his head.
*"I saw the room too. There was a file on the table. A serpent was drawn on it. I remember the word written beneath it: ‘Silence.’"*
Jirou flinched.
*"I... I saw that child crying. But his mouth was closed. Like someone had denied him the right to speak. But his eyes... his eyes were screaming."*
Uraraka nodded softly.
*"So... if the chalice fills, his voice will be heard. But someone kept it empty. Someone never let it fill. That’s why... even though he exists, no one believes in him."*
Tsuyu rummaged through her bag and pulled out an old newspaper clipping.
*"This... is a report about a facility the Commission shut down years ago. A project conducted there under the name ‘Training for High-Potential Hero Children.’ It had no name, but it had a symbol... a serpent."*
Kirishima spoke quietly.
*"During my internship, I overheard a conversation. The Commission was calling someone, saying, ‘Keep the child away, he must not leave the center.’ Maybe... they were talking about this kid."*
Mina stiffened.
*"Three doors... could represent three different paths from the past. UA, the Commission, and... that erased door... maybe a forgotten truth."*
Just then, a whisper came from behind.
Not from a mouth, but from the edges of their minds.
The Fallen Hero had returned to the stage.
Emerging from the shadows, he watched them with a mocking smile.
A long, thin cane rested in his hand. Shadows flowed around him.
> *"You saw three doors, three paths.
And all three paths ended in a child’s silence.
The chalice remains empty.
The serpent still sleeps."*
His gaze shifted to Katsuki.
> *"And you... are still the only one who denies his name.
The answer is right before your eyes.
Yet you still lack the courage to ask the question."*
Then he smiled once more.
Tapped his cane against the floor.
And melted back into the shadows.
The room’s temperature had dropped, the sky outside turning gray.
But the heroes’ minds had never been more alive.
Something was awakening.
The heart of the shadows... pulsed like the echo of a silenced tale.
---
The dim light cast upon the throne room’s walls flickered as if racing against time. A heavy curtain swayed—not from wind, but from memories. The massive screen at the center of the room loomed like a sacred stage, carrying the rotted images of the past and stolen nightmares of the future.
And there, standing before the screen, was that child.
The one whose name was never spoken.
Yet in his eyes burned the fire of someone who once knew what the word *"hero"* truly meant.
The chain around his neck was tightly fastened to the ring hanging on his chest.
Its pale gleam mirrored the white hair of the figure beside him.
The other presence emerging from the shadows did not belong to him—yet they were bound.
*Brother.*
This unspoken word, slipping from the depths of darkness, was conveyed in a single glance, a single breath.
One stood, the other watched.
One carried the weight of history on his shoulders, the other still shielded his brother from behind.
Then, the screen flickered again.
When the Fallen Hero took the stage, he manipulated the shadows like an old puppeteer, reshaping symbols.
A cracked voice whispered from the past:
> *"When the chalice fills with the serpent...
...the rings recognize each other.
And then, the holiest betrayal is reborn."*
The child did not move.
Only tilted his head slightly.
He watched the images swirling in the darkness beyond the curtain—the walls of a ruined house, a crushed plush rabbit, an abandoned notebook.
At the center of it all, a pair of rings...
Emerald-green eyes.
One was a child, the other had been silenced.
Yet both hung from the same chain.
The white-haired figure beside him gently touched his back.
A smile flickered across the child’s face—somewhere between madness and innocence.
Then, a new performance began on the screen.
The Fallen Hero’s voice echoed:
> *"Those rings once sealed a betrayal.
And now, they will begin a new one.
But first... the chalice must shatter."*
At that moment, the throne room fell silent.
Only one breath was heard.
Only one heartbeat.
The ring’s gleam rested on the child’s chest like the reflection of an unbroken promise.
And the shadows... began to shift once more.
---
It was a night veiled in dust.
Outside the throne room, time seemed frozen. Inside, a heart continued to clash with the past.
The child still watched the screen.
On his shoulder rested the white-haired figure’s hand—a touch separated by time but bound by blood.
The shadow play on the screen was no longer meant to be seen with the eyes, but with the heart.
A child...
Back hunched, eyes hollow, hands broken.
Crawling through a dark alley.
Powerless.
Unseen.
Then another child...
One with green light in his cheeks, hope in his palms.
Yet he too was cast out.
Because he was different.
Because he was *too much.*
Two children.
Two faces.
Separated in the same world, yet equally alone.
Society had branded one a *"monster"* and forced the other to become a *"hero."*
The shadows twisted.
Time rushed forward.
What played out was no longer a memory—it was a wildfire.
A hand.
Reaching out for the first time.
Small but stubborn.
Lonely but full of faith.
And in that moment, the serpent coiled around the chalice.
When the two siblings’ hearts became one, the love they created... was *too much* for this world.
Because this world was born hating such love.
That was when the rings were placed around their necks.
Not for each other, but to remember where they belonged.
Not to bind them together, but to shield them from the world.
But time rots all things.
And war came.
One of those children fell into darkness.
The other was dragged into the light.
Their names changed.
Their roles changed.
But their blood did not.
Before him stood a figure once called the devil of this world.
White hair fell over his shoulders, carrying the traces of a faded legend.
His face bore the marks of weary resignation.
And in his eyes...
There was a suffocated, distorted kindness—unseen but felt.
The light filtering through the shadows made both their rings gleam at once.
One wore his over his heart, the other near his throat.
Two different hearts, yet linked like the same chain.
As the rings shone, the years of blood-sealed silence resonated in the room.
The child spoke first.
But his voice was not a whisper.
It came from deep within—not his throat, but the cracked crevices of his heart.
> *"They thought I forgot you.
But I never let you go, brother.
You had a name, a real one. But they stole it from me."*
The white-haired man did not look away.
Neither stepped closer nor farther.
He simply existed there.
Before the child whose absence had once torn him apart, he now carried that absence on his shoulders.
> *"That day... when your hands were shattered, I wasn’t there,"* he said quietly.
*"You waited for me. I know that."*
The child tilted his head slightly.
He smiled, but it was like a wound—unhealed, not even scarred over.
> *"Those hands broke trying to hold onto someone else.
But now, I can carry fire with them.
Because the only thing you ever taught me... was to never stop looking, even as everything burns."*
A silence fell between the two brothers.
But this was no shallow quiet.
It was a silence that carried the echoes of years, wars, losses, and lonely nights.
And within it was something else, unseen:
A bond that still existed, despite an unforgivable past.
The white-haired figure slowly moved to stand beside the child.
For a while, both watched the shadow play on the screen.
The performance had long ended, but the curtain still trembled.
As if even it refused to forget this scene.
The child took the ring from around his neck into his palm.
It was cold.
But even after all these years, it still held meaning.
> *"I didn’t wear this ring... for you,"* he said.
*"But no one else understands why it’s still around my neck."*
The white-haired figure touched his own ring.
Something fractured in his expression.
Something shaped by years—a weight, an apology, a confession.
> *"These rings once symbolized the future a man dreamed of.
But that man... was too blind to see what we truly were.
Yet... we both wore them in this darkness.
Because nothing else... ever let us hold onto each other."*
The child smiled.
But this time, it was different.
Deeper.
Darker.
But genuine.
And in that moment, a spark appeared on the dark screen.
A new shadow play had not begun...
But a new decision had already been made.
**"Where the Emerald Serpent Coils" – Scene Start**
The silence that followed the awakening was as if the remnants of a dream still traced shadows across the ceiling. Each of them drowning in their own world, the words that spilled from their lips were no longer just words—they had become echoes of the past.
The edges of the scorched notebook in Katsuki’s hand were still blackened, but the lines inside… it was as if they had been written one last time by that shadowed child from the dream.
*"Those rings…"* Tsuyu murmured, her eyes scanning the faintly trembling air, searching for the shapes of the three doors she had seen in the dream. *"There was a figure coiled around all of them. A serpent. Wrapping around the chalice."*
*"Emerald-eyed,"* Jirou whispered, as if recalling a melody from the dream. *"When I looked into the ring... it felt like it winked at me."*
Katsuki’s fingers brushed against the ring in his pocket. His entire body was tense, yet there was an inexplicable familiarity in it… a peace he couldn’t put into words.
Momo took a step forward. *"Maybe… those rings are telling us about belonging,"* she said, her voice shaky but firm. *"To identity, to the past… maybe to a lost family."*
At that moment… a silence fell, as if no one dared to breathe. From atop the iron pillars looming in the dim light, a shadow watched them, hunched over.
The Fallen Hero.
His eyes held that familiar mockery. A smile curled on his lips—one that carried the weight of ancient knowledge.
*"The chalice coiled by the serpent,"* he said softly. *"All wars are fought over legacies. Some legacies are written in blood… others in denial."*
The heroes stood frozen.
The Fallen Hero descended slowly from the pillars. Each step echoed. His words hung in the air like a specter:
> *"Once, power was sealed with love. Two rings—one for him, one for his child…
But when the children lost their way, the rings were left alone.
The chalice shattered. But the serpent… still kept coiling."*
Shoto took a step back. His pendant swayed heavily against his throat.
*"Was this… a legacy?"* he asked, nearly breathless.
Something flashed in Katsuki’s eyes. *"No. This... is a curse."*
At that moment, the Fallen Hero dropped a scroll onto the ground with a flick of his wrist.
It was adorned with flame-like patterns, bearing family crests. And at its center—an emerald-encrusted chalice.
*"This… is a map of the past,"* he said. *"But every path comes at a price."*
Uraraka bent down, trembling slightly as she touched the parchment.
*"This… belongs to All For One’s family…"*
No one could finish that sentence. Because the answer rose in their minds like a scream.
Each of them felt it—the way the ring and the serpent’s mark touched their own identities.
🎭 **Shadow Play: The Betrayal of the Rings**
*"Love is betrayed not by the body, but by legacy."*
The chains hanging from the domed ceiling rattled first. In the center of the throne room, a tattered curtain appeared before the Fallen Hero—stitches torn, bearing bloodstained marks. Under the dim light, shadows began to dance. As silence wrapped around them like a tear, the heroes—Katsuki, Shoto, Kirishima, Uraraka, Momo, Tsuyu, Denki, Iida, Jirou, and Mina—watched without breathing.
The first figure projected onto the curtain was a man with sharp, broad shoulders and white hair.
In one hand, he held a ring; with the other, he stroked his wife’s hair.
The woman’s shadow was distinct—graceful, slender, always bowing her head.
The man’s chest swelled with pride, though his voice was unheard—yet his eyes remained locked onto her.
The love between them twisted into something heavy even in the shadows.
A dark love. Controlling. Possessive. Dominating.
Then, the silhouette of a baby appeared on the curtain.
A small child with silver-white hair.
Trembling in the woman’s arms.
The muffled echoes of cries seeped into the scene.
The first child: The Son.
The first heir to darkness.
The man reached for the child; the mother pulled him back.
And a scream—inaudible, but felt.
The woman retreated from the man.
And the second act began.
---
One midnight…
The woman appeared with another figure.
This time, the figure’s back was turned. The heroes could only see his silhouette.
But it was painfully familiar.
A man with a hunched posture, the corner of his coat torn—the shadow of a legend.
As his hair fluttered in the wind, he approached the woman.
And in that moment… she pressed a hand to her chest.
She removed a ring.
In secret, she replaced the first ring on her finger with another.
A ring bearing the mark of a serpent.
A serpent coiled around a chalice, its eyes gleaming like emeralds.
This was the first betrayal.
The heroes’ eyes widened.
---
Then, a second baby appeared on the curtain.
Smaller than the first.
For a brief moment, they saw the silhouette of the man who held him—outside the shadows.
Someone who resembled All Might.
And the child laughed in his arms.
But the woman was still crying.
She clutched the second ring to her chest.
The first ring was broken… the second one glowed.
---
The Fallen Hero tilted his head slightly.
Without looking at the heroes, he spoke:
> *"Two rings…
One blessed by chains,
The other shone with betrayal.
The serpent coiling the chalice
Bared its fangs not to protect the firstborn,
But the last."*
His voice was ice.
> *"One inherited rage…
The other was the lie they called hope."*
---
And the curtain closed.
But as it did, three new figures emerged:
A white-haired child, a serpent ring around his neck.
Another with yellowish-green eyes, head bowed, pressing a ring to his chest.
And a third—a lone shadow kneeling before the throne, watching the other two.
The Fallen Hero spoke once more:
> *"Who is whose father,
How deep each betrayal runs,
Is written not in the language of shadows,
But in blood.
And the child who holds the chalice still does not know
Whether what he drank… was poison or legacy."*
---
The curtain fell.
And silence.
The heroes’ eyes turned to one another.
Some held their breath; others clenched their fists.
The serpent had coiled around the chalice.
And who had been poisoned remained unclear.
⚖️ **Shaken Hearts and Whispered Names**
After the curtain closed, no one spoke for a while.
The creaking of the chains above seemed to echo the weight shaking in their hearts.
Mina buried her face in her knees, trying to hide their trembling.
Sero stared at the shadows and whispered, *"Is this a game? Or a truth?"*
Denki tried to speak, but his tongue wouldn’t move.
Uraraka balled her fists and pressed them into the ground.
Momo’s hands trembled—the ring she had seen, that serpent, had overturned everything she knew.
And Shoto…
His eyes were closed, but his voice was clear.
*"This is a child marked by a false love…"* he said quietly.
*"A mother who belonged to one man, but a father who was another. And no one ever told him. Because the truth was something that would burn them all."*
Iida, carefully choosing his words, murmured:
*"This… isn’t a family. This is a… chain of ruin. A wreckage pulling us all in."*
Tsuyu’s voice was surprisingly steady:
*"That baby… the second one… the smiling child… I think I recognize him."*
Her eyes were wet, but she didn’t hide it.
The silence grew heavier.
Katsuki stood silent in the back. As if he was just observing.
But then…
A faint voice rose among the heroes.
> *"I… I think… I know him. I think we know him."*
For a moment, it was unclear who had spoken.
But the voice…
Was Denki’s.
His face had gone pale.
> *"But… no, it can’t be… if that child is him…"*
His voice cracked, unable to bring himself to say the name.
Because once spoken, the name would solidify like fate.
And they weren’t ready to accept that fate yet.
---
🗺️ **The Scroll and the Riddle**
At that moment…
Something fell from the ceiling beams.
A rolled-up parchment.
The Fallen Hero had stepped back, smiling.
His eyes held amusement—but also the weight of knowing far more.
The scroll hit the ground—wrapped in brown leather, rough like serpent’s skin.
Katsuki stepped forward and picked it up slowly. When he unfurled the map inside, a circular seal lay at its center.
The map showed a mansion once said to belong to All For One.
A place lost in the forest, forgotten for years.
But at the bottom of the map was a note:
> *"Two rings do not carry the same blood.
But if born under the same roof, one will devour the other."*
And beneath it, a riddle translated from an old tongue:
> *"Born from poison, raised in the chalice.
Those who know the name stay silent; those who speak it disappear.
If you seek truth through the shadows,
In the end, you will see your mother’s eyes."*
Shoto’s fingers went to his pendant.
Momo, Tsuyu, Mina, Jirou—all exchanged glances.
Even Iida, with all his logic, was stunned by the weight of those words.
But Katsuki…
He stared at the map in his hands.
And though no one heard, he muttered to himself:
> *"...Was it you?"*
Chapter 27: Chalice of Forgotten Blood & The Serpent’s Heir
Summary:
Upon time’s crumbling walls, a whisper lingers:
‘The serpent bore two sons—one bore the throne, the other bore the grave.’
So I ask you this:
Which brother was your hero?" 🐍🍷💥A shattered cup, two lost heirs:
Drink its blood and be cursed, drink its tears and remember.
Tell me now... which would you choose?"
Chapter Text
🌌 Before a Name is Spoken
Katsuki stared at the map with blazing eyes, biting his lip as if he wanted to say something. But no sound came out.
It was as if a truth lingered on the tip of his tongue—but he knew that truth would turn into a disaster the moment it was spoken.
He turned away. Leaned against the old, rusted pillar at the edge of the room. His fists were clenched. His eyes… almost tearful.
Shoto still held his pendant.
As if that pendant were the key to a house not named on the map.
His thoughts drifted far away: the baby he saw in his dream… that murmuring lullaby… his brother’s voice…
> *"If the red bird returns…
> It will tell what’s real and what’s a lie…"*
When he snapped back to reality, he noticed Uraraka silently crying.
But this time, her tears didn’t come from pain—they came from acceptance.
Her voice trembled:
> *"If this is true… if we really know who that child is… why are we still silent?"*
No one could answer.
🗺️ The Step Before the Journey
Mina spread the map on the floor with Tsuyu. The symbols on it… those raised contours… the map was old, yet somehow alive.
Momo stepped closer and whispered:
> *"This seal… I’ve seen it in the old Commission archives.
> The threefold snake symbol… coiled around the chalice in the center."*
Denki broke his silence:
> *"Those rings had the same pattern.
> This isn’t a coincidence… they all lead back to the same family."*
Iida tried to adjust his glasses, but his hands were shaking.
> *"If… this mansion really belongs to All For One, going there would be madness.
> But if we don’t go, we’ll never solve anything.
> And then… the chains of the past will strangle us too."*
Sero nodded.
> *"That chain is already around our necks."*
Jirou could no longer stay silent:
> *"I want to go. No matter what, I want to know.
> Because we’ve been walking in the dark for far too long."*
And then…
The Fallen Hero appeared again.
He emerged from a fold of darkness, but this time, quieter.
In his hand, he held something.
An old chalice.
The glass was cracked.
But at its base, a green liquid swirled like emerald—shaped like the coils of a serpent.
The Fallen Hero gently placed the chalice on the ground.
His eyes first met Katsuki’s, then Shoto’s, and finally Tsuyu’s.
And he spoke.
Slow, deliberate, almost poetic:
> *"Every chalice holds a sip of truth.
> But some are filled with lies, slithering in like serpents.
> This house… is not just made of stone.
> It carries betrayal in its veins, regret in its rooms."*
He stepped closer, crouched down. His fingers touched the center of the map.
For a moment, the map writhed—the serpent on the paper came alive, raised its head, and winked.
> *"If you go there… you won’t just face the past.
> You’ll face your own hearts."*
His gaze returned to Katsuki.
> *"Your heart… still can’t speak his name.
> But don’t worry. He hears you."*
Katsuki held his breath.
> *"The things that once belonged to him… are still searching for you."*
And the Fallen Hero melted back into the shadows.
The chalice remained in the center.
None of the heroes touched it.
---
🔥 The Decision
For a while, no one spoke.
Then Shoto lifted his head.
His eyes were resolute.
> *"Let’s go.
> No matter what we find… no matter how much it burns.
> We have to go to that mansion."*
Uraraka nodded slowly.
Mina wiped her tears.
Iida adjusted his glasses.
Momo stood up.
Denki’s face was still tense, but there was a light in his eyes.
Tsuyu quietly, yet firmly, said, *"Yes."*
And finally, Katsuki…
He clutched the map.
His fingers trembled, but his gaze was steady.
> *"This time… I won’t run away."*
---
💔 The Silence Before the Storm
The mansion loomed in the heavy fog, rising like a monument carved not from time, but from forgotten memories.
Its iron gates were rusted; ivy and time had etched themselves into the stone walls.
An antique glass lantern still hung at the entrance—but it had long forgotten how to shine.
As the heroes approached, no one spoke.
This wasn’t a house—it was a tomb.
And here, even the earth refused to whisper.
🖼️ Frozen Breaths Before the Painting
When the door creaked open, the first thing that caught their eye was a massive painting hanging on the far wall of the dim hall.
None of them spoke.
Because that painting was a wound where words ended.
A woman sitting on a velvet couch.
Her face was missing—or rather, shadowed.
Like a burn… like it had been deliberately erased, as if to make anyone who saw it forget.
The darkness smeared over it blurred her eyes.
Behind her stood a figure they recognized immediately.
A man in a coat, standing tall: All For One.
His eyes weren’t visible, but his presence was enough.
Beside him, a small boy…
Messy white hair, a sorrowful face.
This was clearly Shigaraki Tomura as a child.
But what the boy held in his hands was the most painful part of the painting:
A baby wrapped in a blanket, its face hidden.
Once held, once protected… now seemingly forgotten.
> *"No face…"* Uraraka murmured hoarsely.
*"Neither the woman’s nor the baby’s… Only shadows of the past…"*
---
🔍 The Secret in the Heart of the House
As they moved through the shadow of the painting, Tsuyu noticed a cracked panel on the wall.
Shoto reached out, running his fingers along its edge.
> *"There’s… something here,"* he said softly.
The wooden floor concealed a hidden hatch.
And beneath it… a chest.
Locked, its serpent engravings faded with time.
But they were still there: the shape of an emerald-eyed serpent coiled around a chalice, a riddle embedded in the metal.
Katsuki stepped forward without a word.
He reached out.
The lock snapped open.
Slowly, he lifted the lid.
Inside lay a few items buried in time:
A baby blanket… edged with delicate lace.
An old parchment tucked between dried roses.
And on top… a faded, yet breathtaking baby photo.
---
💔 The Shattered Silence
Katsuki’s fingers trembled.
The baby’s hair was messy.
Tiny freckles dotted its cheeks.
But the most striking thing… was its eyes.
Those eyes gleamed like emeralds.
No—they didn’t just gleam.
He knew them.
> *"No…"* Katsuki whispered.
His voice carried the grief of a lost childhood.
*"This… this is him… this…"*
He collapsed to his knees.
The photo in his hands felt like a branding iron.
> *"Izuku is this…"
> "I recognize him… those eyes… those freckles…"
> "He… he was the first kid who ever knew me…"*
His voice cracked.
His shoulders slumped.
Uraraka couldn’t hold back her tears.
Shoto turned away, gripping his pendant—still haunted by the echo of his dream.
Momo silently placed a hand on Katsuki’s shoulder.
But even that touch wasn’t enough.
Katsuki was alone now.
For the first time in years… truly alone.
💥 *"He Was Mine…"*
Katsuki’s legs gave out.
The photo was still in his hands, but his fingers could no longer hold it.
A tiny, faded piece of paper…
Yet it held a story of a thousand words.
And the protagonist of that story was Izuku.
He was the baby.
So small.
So ugly.
But those eyes…
Those were the eyes of the boy he’d watched for years—yelled at, pushed away, missed, loved.
> *"This is him,"* Katsuki said.
*"This is my… my damn kid…"
*"My… my friend…"*
The last words spilled out like a scream.
He pressed the photo to his chest.
Suddenly, his hands flashed.
The sparks at his fingertips were like uncontrolled heartbeats.
And then…
An explosion.
The nearby wall shattered.
The ceiling groaned.
Dust rose, the painting toppled sideways.
The flames that burst from the dust didn’t come from Katsuki’s hands—they came from his soul.
---
💔 The Fall of Class 1-A
Uraraka staggered back, eyes wide.
Momo reflexively raised a shield, but couldn’t stop the tears.
> *"No…"
> "This… this can’t be real…"* Denki muttered.
*"He grew up with us… he was our Deku…"*
Shoto clenched his pendant, the echo of his dream ringing in his ears:
*"I was never your brother!"*
Even if those words weren’t meant for him, Shoto’s hands shook.
Because he understood—the child he’d seen…
Was Izuku.
And now… that child was All For One’s son.
Iida sank to his knees, removing his glasses.
His trembling hands covered his face.
> *"We fought alongside him…"
> "Prayed for his survival…"
> "But now he—he’s…"
> "He’s a—a…"*
*"Stop!"* Jirou shouted.
Her voice was breaking.
> *"He was still our friend!"
> "No matter what… he was Deku! Our Deku!"*
But words no longer served as shields.
Ashido covered her face with her hands.
Kirishima crouched, head bowed.
Sero was silent—perhaps for the first time, words had lodged in his throat.
And worst of all…
Tsuyu’s eyes were hollow.
She knelt silently.
As if everything… was a nightmare come true.
---
After the explosion, the hall fell into silence.
Katsuki wasn’t even standing anymore.
On his knees, it was as if the weight of the world had crushed him.
The photo in his hands hadn’t burned.
The sparks had recoiled, as if recognizing it.
> *"I…"
> "I asked him so many times why he was like that…"
> "But… no one ever asked him who he was…"*
No tears fell from his eyes.
But that didn’t mean he wasn’t crying.
Katsuki Bakugou didn’t cry—but when his heart shattered,
the devastation burned cities.
---
💀 Words Echoing in the Silence
And then…
A whisper seeped through the dust.
No one knew who spoke.
Maybe a ghost… maybe the mansion itself…
But the words felt like they came from within the walls:
> *"Two children… two paths…"
> "One is ruin, one is hope…"
> "But behind every destruction… lies an unloved child."*
---
The Fallen Hero’s Revelation
The Fallen Hero stepped forward from the shadows.
His voice was soft, yet carried the weight of a storm.
> *"Once, there were two brothers…"
> "One born on the edge of ruin, the other on the edge of hope."*
The walls darkened, then shifted—shadows forming images.
Two children. One with white hair, fear in his eyes… the other freckled, emerald-eyed, smiling.
Shigaraki… and Izuku.
But they had no names yet.
> *"The firstborn clung to life with rage. His cries shook the walls of the house."
> "The second… was silent. But his heart shone like a star."*
The shadows shifted again—All For One holding a baby, a woman with bandaged arms smiling beside him.
> *"All For One loved too. Especially the second child…"
> "In those emerald eyes, he believed in redemption. A fresh start. A pure love."*
Izuku’s infancy flickered across the walls—a father feeding him, holding him… a loving father.
But the warmth faded. The shadows darkened. A new image emerged:
The woman—Inko—meeting a man in secret. His silhouette unmistakable: All Might.
> *"But nothing is built on light alone."
> "Her heart had already turned to another man."*
---
Betrayal and Silence
The image shifted—All For One reading letters, his hands shaking. Horror in his eyes. Then rage.
> *"That night… darkness was reborn."
> "Love was replaced by betrayal, affection by denial."*
The vision shattered.
A new shadow: All For One placing his hands on his children’s heads. Shigaraki crying, Izuku staring in fear.
And then… silence.
> *"That night, he erased everything."
> "Their memories. Their tears. Their brotherhood."
> "Because sometimes… destruction is easier than love."*
---
On the Edge of Memories
The Fallen Hero turned to the class. His tone was darker now, more devastating.
> *"You never knew him."
> "You only knew what came after."
> "But I… saw the beginning."*
Katsuki was still on his knees, the photo in his hands.
Momo bowed her head, covering her mouth.
Denki’s lips trembled.
> *"Did you come to save him?"
> "Or to bury the truth?"*
---
Words Echoing in the Shadows
The memories on the walls faded. But one whisper remained:
> *"Back then, they were just two babies…"
> "Now, one has returned for ruin, the other for salvation."*
> *"But you forgot them both. And they forgot themselves."*
---
*"Liar…! This… This photo has to be fake!"*
Katsuki’s voice echoed through the stone walls, warping into a distorted hum. The old, faded photo in his hands trembled. His face was crimson—not with anger, but with horror. That freckled, big-eyed, smiling baby… that tiny bundle wrapped in a blanket… that child—it couldn’t be Izuku. It couldn’t.
*"This isn’t possible! Hisashi Midoriya… Aunt Inko… That woman was a hero’s wife! She couldn’t have done this!"*
He grabbed his hair. The shards of a broken reality stabbed into his mind. The ground beneath him cracked, his heart pounding hard enough to break his ribs.
*"No… he was my hero… My childhood love…"*
This whisper didn’t sound like the explosive Katsuki Bakugou who once shattered the sky.
This was the voice of a broken child.
Of trust obliterated.
From behind him, slow applause rose from the shadows. The Fallen Hero leaned against the wall, head tilted, watching him. His eyes weren’t smiling—but the curl of his lips was mocking.
*"Ah… How sweet. A blind child, raised on the legend of a mother he blindly loved."*
His voice was velvet and venom. *"But stories aren’t like that, Katsuki Bakugou. Stories belong to no one. Least of all to heroes."*
Katsuki’s fists clenched, knuckles white. But the Fallen Hero kept walking. Each step pressed into the dust like a weight. The dim light filtering through the broken windows hid his face in shadow.
*"This story began with betrayal, yes. But not just of love… A betrayal of a system, a society, an ideology."*
He turned to the paintings.
*"The woman was caught between two men. But what truly consumed her was that both men tried to play god in a world of heroes."*
His fingers traced the scratches on the walls, the marks of years past. Then he faced the painting where Inko’s burned face was hidden, bowing his head.
*"All For One… He wanted everything. Power, family, destiny. But love… that was the one thing he couldn’t control."*
He turned back to the class. Katsuki was still reeling in denial. Behind him stood Iida, Tsuyu, Jirou, Denki, Momo, Uraraka, Kirishima—their eyes wide with a different kind of darkness. Everything they’d learned had collapsed into a single sentence. Shigaraki Tomura was a brother. Izuku had been born in this dark mansion. And the man they’d worshipped as a god—All Might—might have been part of this rot.
*"That war,"* the Fallen Hero said, fingers gliding over the map on the table, *"started eight years ago. The day you were all raised on lies."*
He stepped back, his gaze piercing each of them.
*"They pitted two children against each other. Born from the same parents. One raised without love, the other raised with the wrong kind. Both had a past they couldn’t remember. Because they weren’t meant to."*
A heavy silence fell. Only the broken ticking of a wall clock remained.
Katsuki’s hands dropped. The photo slipped, hitting the floor. His fingers shook. His lips parted, but words tangled in his throat.
The Fallen Hero crouched beside him, whispering something in his ear. The words were soft as wind, but sharp as a dagger:
*"Sometimes, the brightest light… is born from the darkest deceit."*
Then he stood, speaking to the entire class one last time:
*"Here’s another riddle, heroes…
A serpent bit two children—one woke up, the other forgot. If the chalice still holds their blood, which of you will dare to drink?"*
And he vanished into the dark.
Chapter 28: "CHILDREN OF SHATTERED TIME &THE WHISPERS OF RUSTED KEYS
Summary:
"Time does not heal all wounds—
some fractures are meant to be carried.
We are the children of shattered clocks,
our scars sing the song of rusted keys🗝️🍷🐍
*"Time may fade the ink in notebooks,
but the shadow of burned pages remains.
We are prophecies born from ashes—
our rusted keys follow the trail
of a blazing star leading to the lost child's heart."*
💥🍷🗝️
Chapter Text
Silence.**
After the fallen hero’s footsteps faded into the shadows, no one in the room dared to breathe for a long moment. Everything seemed to stand still. Dust hung suspended in the air, and the wall clock appeared to have stopped ticking altogether.
Then—a piece of paper fell to the floor.
A small, yellowed note.
Kirishima immediately bent down, picking it up with trembling hands. He didn’t read it aloud. He just stared. His pupils dilated. His lips parted slightly.
*“What does it say?”* Momo asked, her voice barely a whisper.
Kirishima swallowed. Then, in a broken voice, he spoke:
*“‘If you still call me a liar… open the room upstairs.*
*The key is behind the picture.*
*That room… was his.’”*
The room.
Izuku’s room.
Katsuki’s head snapped up. His eyes were hollow, but something smoldered beneath—something drowning and desperate. For a moment, he just stayed like that. Then he surged to his feet. No one stopped him. His fingers reached for the dusty frame on the stone wall—an old picture of Inko in her youth, holding a baby Izuku in her arms.
He tore the frame from the wall.
Behind it was a rusted iron key.
*“It ends…”* he muttered to himself.
*“Either I end this lie… or this lie ends me.”*
Everyone followed him. The wooden stairs creaked beneath their weight, the cracks in the walls oozing like the blood of the past. When they reached the top, at the very end of the hallway, stood a dark door. Covered in cobwebs, locked with a rusted iron latch, it looked long abandoned.
When the key turned in the lock, every heart in the room stopped.
A soft *click*.
The door opened.
And time collapsed.
Inside…
It smelled like Izuku.
The familiar scent of old laundry detergent mixed with dust, mint, and the faint, comforting aroma of children’s book pages. Everything was frozen, untouched, as if the room had been preserved for eight years. All Might figurines lined the shelves, along with notebooks and half-finished analysis pages…
A folded blanket on the bed.
A toy beside it.
In the corner, a toppled camera.
Katsuki stepped inside—and his legs gave out. He crumpled to the floor.
He reached for one of Izuku’s analysis notebooks, fingers brushing over the worn cover. He opened it. A slip of paper fluttered out from between the pages.
On it, just two words:
*“Find me.”*
Tears spilled from Katsuki’s eyes.
In the darkness, the others hesitated at the threshold, too afraid to enter.
Iida bowed his head.
Momo’s hands clenched over her chest.
Uraraka was crying.
Tsuyu shut her eyes.
Jirou leaned against the cracked wall, silent.
Denki only murmured:
*“How… is this possible?”*
Kirishima rushed forward, dropping to his knees beside Katsuki. He placed a hand on his shoulder.
*“Bakugo…”* he said, voice shaking.
*“This… this is his room. This… is real.”*
Katsuki’s lips moved, as if a scream was trapped in his throat but couldn’t escape. Then, he lowered his head, pressing the note to his heart.
*“I’ll find you, Deku…”*
And at that moment, the room’s window swung open on its own.
A cold wind slipped inside.
One of the shelves toppled over.
A notebook fell to the floor.
And on its cover, it read:
**> “The Serpent’s Whisper — File 1”**
Everyone froze.
Uraraka whispered:
*“The Serpent’s Whisper…?”*
Katsuki picked up the notebook. Opened it.
On the first page was a single sentence, handwritten:
**> “I was born in darkness, raised among those who forgot. But I remember.”**
As Katsuki clutched the notebook tightly, a silent exploration began around the room.
Memories hidden beneath dust, relics of the past lined up on shelves, and—most dangerous of all—truths someone had tried to bury.
Shoto carefully approached the nightstand in the left corner.
On it sat a closed box and a framed photo—so covered in dust it was nearly invisible.
His fingers trembled as he reached out, wiping the grime from the glass.
And the world came crashing down around him once more.
In the photo was Shigaraki Tomura. And perched on his shoulder… was a small child.
Izuku.
But not the Izuku he knew.
This was something else.
He wore a red cape.
His eyes gleamed. His fist was raised triumphantly, his grin almost laughing into the camera.
And Shigaraki—for once—looked almost… brotherly. His back slightly hunched to balance the child on his shoulder, as if he didn’t mind the weight.
A family…
A parody in the heart of darkness.
Shoto’s eyes widened. He grabbed the frame, turning it toward the others.
*“Is this… real?”* he breathed.
Momo’s breath hitched as she stepped closer.
Kirishima covered his mouth.
Uraraka recoiled.
Iida averted his gaze.
Katsuki only slowly turned his head and stared.
There was no rage in his eyes to match that smile—just a terrible loneliness.
Then… one of the walls trembled.
A hum rose—like the distant, rhythmic beating of a heart, growing louder.
And then… symbols began to glow.
They were carved into the walls, etched so faintly they’d been overlooked at first. But now, ever since the notebook was opened—and especially since the photo was revealed—they pulsed like living things, twisting like serpents.
Flickering lights of green, red, and black.
A spiral.
An eye.
A serpent’s open maw.
And at the center—two childlike silhouettes.
Momo held her breath.
*“This… is some kind of seal.”*
Denki flinched.
*“What do you mean?!”*
*“It’s not just a memory vault,”* Momo said, her eyes tracing the rhythm of the glowing symbols.
*“This room… isn’t just preserving Izuku’s past. It’s a memory trap. Something here is guarding—or hiding—his memories.”*
At that moment, the notebook’s pages began flipping on their own.
The Serpent’s Whisper… was speaking again.
But this time, the words were unintelligible—an ancient, winding language.
Shoto took a step forward, still clutching the frame.
*“It wants to show us something,”* he said.
The spiral symbol at the center of the wall flared brighter. And then… it opened.
Literally opened—the stones retracted, revealing a narrow, hidden passage.
A cold draft seeped through.
And above the passage, words formed in jagged, twisting script:
**> “To remember demands a greater price than to forget.”**
Katsuki stood. He tucked the notebook into his bag.
Looked at Shoto.
At Kirishima.
At Uraraka.
*“Be ready,”* he said, his voice no longer cracked—only resolute.
*“If Deku’s still alive… we’re pulling him out of this darkness ourselves.”*
And he was the first to step into the passage.
Behind him followed Shoto, Kirishima, Momo, Uraraka, Iida, Jirou, Denki, Tsuyu, Ashido, and Sero…
Their footsteps echoed.
The ceiling arched like a cavern, stretching endlessly into the dark. The walls were damp. There was no light. But the Serpent’s Whisper remained.
Every vibration, every murmur… etched into their skin like memories.
Then the passage ended.
And before them stood eleven doors.
A vast, curved hall.
Doors lined up one by one.
Each one a different color, a different design.
At first glance, they seemed blank.
Until… the Serpent’s Whisper spoke again.
A hiss.
Then an echo.
Then symbols began to appear.
---
🔻 The first door burned like crimson flame. A line of fire split by ice materialized on its surface.
**Shoto Todoroki.**
🔻 The second door crackled like lightning. Jagged electricity danced across it.
**Denki Kaminari.**
🔻 The third door trembled like a sorrowful musical note. A headphone symbol glowed.
**Kyoka Jirou.**
🔻 The fourth door flared in a blue explosion. A pair of glasses reflected a stern, determined gaze.
**Iida Tenya.**
🔻 The fifth door darkened into black silence. A dried mud stain seemed to spread.
**Tsuyu Asui.**
🔻 The sixth door shimmered with delicate, lace-like light—beautiful but fragile.
**Momo Yaoyorozu.**
🔻 The seventh door ignited in pink.
**Ochako Uraraka.**
🔻 The eighth door stood firm as stone, a bloodstained fist emblem blazing.
**Eijiro Kirishima.**
---
🔻 The ninth door swirled in a crimson vortex, black spray-paint cracks spiderwebbing around it.
**Mina Ashido.**
At its peak, a melted mask dripped. From within, laughter echoed—not joyful, but the hollow, regretful laughter of a child who had lost their light.
🔻 The tenth door was wrapped in gray metal, ropes and tape hanging like harpoons.
**Hanta Sero.**
A spinning reel was etched onto it, along with an old hero emblem buried in a log. Behind the door, a moment of decision resonated. Silent loyalty? Or silent betrayal?
---
And then…
🔻 The eleventh door.
A green star exploded.
The walls shook.
The hall itself seemed to take a breath.
The emerald light pierced the darkness like fingertips.
A spiral and a serpent’s eye appeared on the door.
**Izuku Midoriya.**
But this door did not open.
It pulsed… but only watched.
Silent.
As it had been for years.
And then…
🔻 The twelfth door burst into flames. Sparks exploded against the walls.
**Katsuki Bakugou.**
Something was burning on its surface.
The silhouette of a ruined city, and beneath it—a hero kneeling.
That hero reached out a hand… but grasped nothing.
From within the door, a voice rose, like the roar of a child:
*“I always won. So why am I always the one left behind?”*
And then… the locks began to turn.
But only one by one.
First, Shoto’s door opened.
It remained ajar. Cold mist seeped out.
As if the past itself was breathing.
When Shoto stepped forward, the others tried to stop him—but the glowing symbols in the passage’s center anchored them in place.
The doors recognized their owners.
And none would let the others pass.
Momo struggled.
*“No! We have to go together! We can’t split up!”*
But the Serpent’s Whisper murmured again.
Straight into their hearts:
**> “Darkness swallows you together… but the past tests you alone.**
**Every sin awaits its bearer.”**
Then the other doors opened.
Each one beckoned with a consuming light.
But this wasn’t an invitation—it was a snare.
🔹 Kirishima’s door was smeared with dried blood.
🔹 Uraraka’s door held a child floating midair.
🔹 Jirou’s door opened with a scream.
🔹 Momo’s bore a shattered seal.
🔹 Iida’s door had a chained clock.
🔹 Tsuyu’s reflected the silence of a still pond.
🔹 Denki’s flashed with lightning that died too soon.
🔹 Ashido’s was drowned in laughter and ashes.
🔹 Sero’s showed a severed bond, a lost friendship.
🔹 Katsuki’s door—scorched notebook ashes, screaming silence. And with it, a love no one dared speak aloud.
🔹 Shoto’s door was where ice and fire clashed—until, at last, they intertwined as if they had always belonged together.
But only Izuku’s door remained silent.
Glowing, but waiting.
Its time had not yet come.
Katsuki’s hands clenched into fists.
*“Why?!”* he roared. *“Why won’t his door open?!”*
But the serpent symbol on the wall only narrowed its eyes.
It gave no answer.
Shoto took the first step.
He walked toward his door.
And behind him, it sealed shut like a lock.
The others would share the same fate.
Each would face their own darkness.
Each would be forced to see how the past had shaped them.
And only then… perhaps…
Izuku’s door would let them in.✦ KATSUKI'S DOOR ✦
*"You were always going to be a hero… but I loved you anyway."*
Katsuki's heart pounded violently.
While the others were pulled toward their own doors, his remained—unclosed. Waiting. As if it *wanted* to be noticed.
The scorch marks on the door were deep, like they'd been carved by fingertips.
And right in the center—two green eyes, embossed into the surface.
They *stared* at him.
Not with forgiveness.
Not with accusation.
Just… recognition.
Katsuki’s steps slowed.
Sweat dripped from his cheek, trembling against the floor.
*"Izuku…"*
The name no longer carried rage in his heart.
Only emptiness.
Only silence.
When he placed his hand on the door, the cold metal pulsed beneath his palm.
For a moment, an old memory resurfaced:
*A pond.*
*Two children.*
*One small, green-haired boy, fallen, reaching out.*
*The other—little Katsuki, turning away.*
But years later…
Now there was a man who cried at night for never taking that hand.
And that man now opened the door.
The door groaned.
It swung wide.
And Katsuki stepped inside.
Not into darkness… but into *light.*
Not the light of hope—the glow of *memory.*
Was this a lab? No.
A classroom? No.
This… was a *home.*
Dusty, abandoned, but once the place where a child had dreamed.
And on the wall—
Izuku’s analysis notebooks were lined up, shelf after shelf.
Each one marked in the corner with a small, charcoal-drawn *"K."*
As if someone had gone through them years later.
Every page was about *Katsuki.*
His strength, his weaknesses, his speed, his strategies…
But beneath those lines, another sentence had been scribbled—then smudged away:
*"All Might was my hero.*
*But you…*
*…you were my everything, Kacchan."*
Katsuki’s knees gave out.
Something rose from his chest to his throat.
His throat burned.
His lips parted.
But no sound came out.
Izuku had loved him.
For years.
Silently.
Secretly.
And maybe…
*"Even before he died…"*
*"...he forgave me."*
Suddenly, the room trembled.
The walls cracked.
And one of the notebooks burst into flames.
Katsuki lunged for it—but too late.
Only a single word remained in the ashes:
*"I wish I could’ve stayed with you."*
A voice came from behind the door.
The Serpent’s Whisper, gentler now, mournful:
*"Heroes return to the past to find themselves… not what they’ve lost. But you, Katsuki Bakugou… You only want to find* him.
*And that doesn’t make you a hero…*
*It makes you a lover."*
Katsuki lifted his head.
He stood alone in the wreckage, surrounded by ashes.
But beneath those ashes, something still burned.
The way Izuku had loved him—silently, relentlessly.
And in that moment, he understood:
Izuku had loved him.
Katsuki loved him too.
But their story had never allowed it.
---
Still kneeling before the charred notebook, eyes still wet, Katsuki suddenly felt a searing pain in his fingertips.
When he pressed his hand to the ground, the heat still lingered in the stones.
And then…
He felt something shift beneath them.
He blew away the ashes.
Beneath them was a metal plate.
Not shiny…
Black as coal.
But at its center, a pale green light pulsed—a symbol:
**☍**
A star entwined with a serpent.
Instinctively, he pressed his fingers against it.
And then—
Light erupted from the ceiling like a projector.
On the wall, barely visible before, words sharpened into focus.
Handwritten.
Izuku’s.
*"Kacchan…*
*If you’re reading this, you already know what happened to me.*
*But this isn’t the end.*
*Neither All For One’s darkness nor the heroes’ silence could erase me.*
*I… am still here.*
*Still watching you.*
*Still loving you."*
Beneath it, coordinates:
*35.6895° N, 139.6917° E — Look down. That’s the passage beneath the shadows.*
And beside it, the remnants of a burned hero analysis notebook.
At the very end, a single sentence—one Izuku had never been able to say as a child, but had always carried inside him:
*"I wanted to be a hero with you.*
*But more than anything…*
*I wanted to* live *with you."*
Katsuki’s vision blurred.
But he didn’t cry.
Because now he had a lead.
A trace.
An echo.
And that echo could lead him back to Izuku.
---
### ✦ SHOTO TODOROKI’S DOOR ✦
*"Even a child made of ice can have a burning heart."*
Shoto stood before his door for a long time.
The others had already stepped forward, facing the fractures of their pasts.
But this door—*his* door—smelled of fire.
The symbol above it burned:
A half-sun.
One side frozen in ice, the other still aflame.
And that fire still reflected in Shoto’s face.
When his fingertips brushed the door, it *cracked.*
As the lock released, heat rushed against his skin.
For a second, his breath caught.
Because inside was the heart of his past.
---
**FIRE.**
A palace-like room, walls burning violently.
The floor splitting with his mother’s screams.
A small child curled in the corner, hands over his ears—*Shoto.*
And then…
**TOUYA.**
A figure standing in the flames, back turned.
Shoulders charred. Eyes hollow.
Muttering just one phrase:
*"I burned my father… but he still burns inside me."*
Then his gaze shifted to Shoto.
*"You were his hope.*
*I was his regret.*
*But he never loved us.*
*He only wanted to ‘win.’*
*And the more he won… the more of us disappeared."*
The flames surged.
Touya vanished like a shadow.
Shoto recoiled in terror.
His breath tightened.
He covered his face—but then… a hand reached out.
A green-haired boy.
A younger Shoto, head bowed, eyes swollen, lashes wet.
Izuku stroking his hair.
Gently. Carefully. Like he was handling a fragile bird.
His voice was soft.
But every word melted the ice around that heart:
*"You are not your father, Shoto."*
*"You don’t have fire inside you—you have* patience.*"*
*"Not rage—*justice.*"*
*"Your hands weren’t made to burn…*
*…they were made to* hold.*"*
Shoto sobbed.
He couldn’t stop himself.
Tears fell onto Izuku’s knee.
But Izuku still smiled.
Still that gentle boy.
And he whispered:
*"Those born from fire…*
*…understand darkness better."*
*"Your heroism isn’t in fighting—it’s in* forgiving.*"*
*"And when you start to forgive…*
*…you’ll finally be free."*
When Shoto looked up, the vision faded.
But those words…
Those words stayed in his chest.
Suddenly, the wall cracked.
And from the dust, a burned necklace clattered to the ground.
Shoto picked it up.
On the back, a single engraved letter:
**"I"**
And beneath it, a date:
*"11.11 — Don’t forget."*
The pendant swung from his neck, its surface flickering—half ice, half flame.
The Serpent’s Whisper echoed through the room:
*"Some wounds never close with time…*
*…but they grow quiet with love."*
*"You, Shoto Todoroki…*
*…are not just a son.*
*You are his* faith.*"*
---
### ✦ KIRISHIMA’S DOOR ✦
*"To break is not to shatter…*
*Sometimes the brightest light leaks from a cracked heart."*
The symbol above his door was a fractured but unbroken castle.
Tiny stars revolved around it—like someone who’d spent his life shining for others.
At first, Kirishima smiled.
The same way he always did in front of everyone.
But this time… it was fragile.
The smile of a boy trying to fool himself.
He touched the door.
And it opened without a sound.
---
✦ **MEMORY — "EVERYONE’S HERO"** ✦
Inside was darkness, walls lined with black stone.
But in the center, a single beam of light…
A pedestal. On it, a torn piece of an old U.A. uniform.
As Kirishima approached, voices rose:
Katsuki’s screams.
Izuku’s laughter.
Mina’s *"You were always the toughest of us!"*
And then…
His own voice:
*"I’ve got your back! Always!"*
But then the voice distorted.
Shuddered.
And collapsed.
*"But who had* mine*…?"*
The room shifted.
Memories unfolded.
Mina crying after a battle.
Sero quietly bandaging his arm.
And Kirishima’s face—always forcing a grin, but his eyes always searching.
Then a shadow appeared.
A wounded young boy.
Red hair stuck to his forehead.
Collapsed on the ground.
*Himself.*
*"Why did I always have to smile…?"*
Izuku’s voice suddenly cut through the dark.
Gentle. Quiet. Like a whisper from the depths:
*"You were never alone.*
*But you were taught to always* seem *strong.*
*You were our shield…*
*But no one shielded* you.*"*
Kirishima’s eyes welled up.
And when he reached out, a cracked—but unbroken—shield fell into his hands.
Not alive… but light seeped through its fractures.
✦ **SYMBOL** ✦
A red stone heart.
Inside, a tiny flame burned.
On it, a sentence carved in Izuku’s handwriting:
*"You don’t have to break yourself to be a hero."*
Kirishima pressed the shield to his chest.
And murmured:
*"I broke…*
*But I’m still here."*
✦ **THE SERPENT WHISPERS** ✦
*"Even the strongest walls, unshaken for years, have stories to tell when touched.*
*And your story doesn’t carry another’s victory…*
*It carries your own light."*
Chapter 29: The Twelfth Gate: Izuku's Burden & One For All: The Weight of Blood
Summary:
Sometimes being a hero means being willing to shatter your own heart.
For true sacrifice isn't about saving someone you love...
**it's about saving them from yourself.**"You call this madness?
In a world that demands I kill my own brother,
keeping my sanity is the real insanity🐍✨💫
Chapter Text
✦ URARAKA OCHACO'S DOOR ✦
*"To rise upward, sometimes one must first descend to the deepest depths.
Because weightlessness... can also lift you into the embrace of nothingness."*
The symbol glowing above the door was a thread tied to the world.
At the end of that thread—a tiny figure, floating in the air, yet bound by a chain.
Ochaco's eyes widened.
She took a deep breath.
> *"This place... why does it feel familiar?"*
When she placed her hand on the door, the sound of a child crying echoed.
Not a cry... but a stifled whimper. A suppressed sob.
As the door opened, her own childhood reverberated inside.
### ✦ MEMORY — "THE BURDEN" ✦
The interior was nothing more than a dimly lit room.
An apartment.
The voices of her parents—exhausted, desperate.
Little Uraraka sat in a corner, clutching a notebook filled with numbers.
Scrawled inside were lists:
Food, rent, medicine... and at the end, these words:
*"If I become a hero... everything will be okay."*
But then...
A television flickered on.
A news report about Katsuki's injury.
Behind him stood Iida, Momo, Jirou, Yaoyorozu, and Todoroki.
They all remembered that moment.
Ochaco had collapsed in front of the screen, knees hitting the floor.
She had always been so strong, but that day...
She fell.
She couldn’t hold herself together.
She cried. Silently.
But her tears weren’t just for Katsuki.
Izuku’s absence... had never truly left her heart.
And now, from within the past, Izuku’s voice reached her—
In a tone meant only for Uraraka:
> *"You belong in the sky.
But you’ve chained yourself, Ochaco...
Sometimes, to rise, what you must let go of... is guilt."*
Ochaco trembled.
And beneath the ground, the lid of a small chest creaked open.
Inside lay an object.
### ✦ SYMBOL ✦
A cluster of stars, suspended in the air.
Yet at its tip—a tiny compass.
The needle spun endlessly, always pointing north.
Carved into the back of the star was a single word:
> *"Salvation."*
Ochaco took the star into her palm.
Her eyes welled with tears.
> *"I just wanted to lighten everyone’s burdens...
But maybe... I should have let go of my own first."*
### ✦ THE VOICE OF THE SERPENT RISES AGAIN ✦
> *"Those who rise the highest hear the screams of those who fall the hardest.
Your burden... is no longer yours alone.
Wherever that star leads you, follow it.
Because it fell from his heart."*
And so, Uraraka’s door closed.
In her hand—a compass pointing the way, in her heart—the shadows of unspoken guilt.
And perhaps...
The first step toward rising.
---
### ✦ MINA ASHIDO'S DOOR ✦
*"Even if colors fade, don’t lose the rhythm of your soul.
There is a heart that dances even in the dark."*
Above the door, silhouettes of two figures danced—one vibrant pink, the other a faded green.
As Mina approached, a memory surfaced within her.
### ✦ MEMORY — "TEACHING IZUKU TO DANCE" ✦
It was a warm summer afternoon.
Izuku stood hesitantly before Mina, who grinned as she demonstrated the steps.
> *"Come on! You gotta feel it, the rhythm... like your heartbeat!"*
*"But I—"*
Izuku hesitated, his feet glued to the floor.
Mina reached out, her touch soft and encouraging.
In that moment, she wasn’t just teaching him to dance.
She was helping him face the fears he kept hidden, guiding him to find his own rhythm.
They stepped together, smiling, Mina’s joy becoming Izuku’s courage.
But right after that moment of happiness, the shadow of war crept in.
The sorrow in Izuku’s eyes left a heavy weight in Mina’s heart.
### ✦ SYMBOL ✦
A small green-footed dancing figure.
On it, a tiny green leaf—reminiscent of Izuku’s hair.
### ✦ THE VOICE OF THE SERPENT SPEAKS AGAIN ✦
> *"Dance isn’t just with your feet, but with your heart.
That green leaf is the symbol of hope he gave you.
But remember, every rhythm is a fragile balance.
And now... it’s time to finish this dance."*
Mina took the figure in her hand, determination flashing in her eyes.
The faint ache of the past mingled with a silent hope for the future.
-
✦ DENKI KAMINARI'S DOOR ✦
*"The power of a single spark can light up the darkness;
But controlling that spark takes courage."*
Above the door, symbols flickered like electric currents.
Denki, sweating slightly, reached for the handle.
### ✦ MEMORY — "THE MOMENT HE LOST CONTROL" ✦
He remembered:
A battlefield where his power ran wild.
Sparks flying, endangering his friends.
The guilt weighed on him like an anchor.
Then, Izuku appeared beside him.
His eyes held quiet strength.
> *"Denki, your spark is a gift, not a curse.
What matters is how you use it."*
Those words ignited something in him—a flicker of hope.
### ✦ SYMBOL ✦
A broken circuit board, glowing gold.
Inside its shattered bulb, a tiny heart pulsed like a flame.
### ✦ THE SERPENT'S WARNING ✦
> *"Don’t let your spark burn you, Denki.
But even if it does... remember, fire can forge new paths.
Control it, or the darkness will claim you."*
Denki took a deep breath, fear and resolve warring in his chest.
---
### ✦ HANTA SERO'S DOOR ✦
*"A rope can bind you—or set you free.
Choosing your own path is the hardest knot to untie."*
The door bore the symbol of a braided cord.
Sero hesitated, confronting the tangle of emotions inside.
### ✦ MEMORY — "THE MOMENT HE FELT ALONE" ✦
Amidst the chaos of war, Sero stood isolated.
Explosions, screams... and a hollow ache in his chest.
He wanted to help, but his strength felt insufficient.
Then, a memory surfaced:
Izuku hugging him tightly.
In that embrace, Sero found both strength and belonging.
*"Together, we’re stronger,"* he’d whispered silently.
### ✦ SYMBOL ✦
A compass needle wrapped in tape.
Hidden inside—a tiny green leaf, Izuku’s mark.
### ✦ THE SERPENT'S WARNING ✦
> *"Connection is terrifying, Sero.
But to sever it is a deeper loneliness.
Don’t let go of the rope, or the dark will ensnare you."*
Sero exhaled, his grip tightening around the symbol.
---
### ✦ MOMO YAOYOROZU'S DOOR ✦
*"True strength comes from belief in yourself.
When lost, this is how you find your way back."*
A lotus bloomed on the door’s surface.
Momo stepped forward, resolve hardening.
### ✦ MEMORY — "THE MOMENT SHE DOUBTED" ✦
In the war’s chaos, Momo froze.
Her creations faltered; the weight of leadership crushed her.
Then—Izuku’s voice echoed in her mind:
> *"You have greatness within you, Momo.
Even when you can’t see it... I do."*
Those words reignited her light.
### ✦ SYMBOL ✦
A glowing orb, vines coiled around it.
Nestled within—a green leaf, Izuku’s legacy.
### ✦ THE SERPENT'S WARNING ✦
> *"Power can save or destroy, Momo.
The choice is yours.
But remember: true strength creates, never annihilates."*
Momo’s fingers curled around the orb, her path clear.
---
*(Son kısım bir sonraki mesajda! Todoroki, Tsuyu ve diğerleri geliyor.)*
---
### ✦ TENYA IIDA'S DOOR ✦
*"Beneath speed and discipline lies the weight of duty.
Fail to bear it, and you’ll lose your way."*
A winged wheel adorned the door.
Iida approached, his usual sternness softened by reflection.
### ✦ MEMORY — "THE WEIGHT OF LEGACY" ✦
In battle, Iida felt the Ingenium name heavy on his shoulders.
Every move was a debt—to his family, to heroism.
But then, Izuku’s quiet words returned:
> *"Tenya, you carve your own path.
I’m just walking behind you."*
The burden eased. The road ahead brightened.
### ✦ SYMBOL ✦
A silver-winged wheel.
At its center—a green leaf.
### ✦ THE SERPENT'S WARNING ✦
> *"Speed without balance leads to ruin, Tenya.
Without control, you’ll only crash."*
Iida adjusted his glasses, resolve steady as his heartbeat.
---
### ✦ KYOKA JIROU'S DOOR ✦
*"Silence can be the loudest voice—
But when stifled, it hides the deepest scream."*
Headphones and music notes decorated the door.
Jirou’s breath hitched as she stepped inside.
### ✦ MEMORY — "THE MOMENT SHE WAS UNHEARD" ✦
In the war’s noise, Jirou felt invisible.
Her thoughts drowned in the chaos.
Then—Izuku took her hand.
> *"Your voice is powerful, Jirou.
When you find it, you’ll change the world."*
She’d learned to listen... and to be heard.
### ✦ SYMBOL ✦
A purple earphone jack.
Inside—a green leaf.
### ✦ THE SERPENT'S WARNING ✦
> *"Don’t let silence imprison you, Jirou.
A scream unvoiced becomes a storm."*
She clenched her fists, music and fury harmonizing in her soul.
---
### ✦ TSUYU ASUI'S DOOR ✦
*"Still as water, you may seem—
But even frogs must swallow storms."*
A frog sat on a lily pad above the door.
Tsuyu blinked, her calm surface rippling.
### ✦ MEMORY — "THE NIGHT SHE BROKE" ✦
After the war, Tsuyu sat by a river, silent.
Then—tears fell, unseen.
Izuku joined her, whispering:
> *"They call you strong because you don’t cry.
But I’ve seen how you swallow grief, Tsuyu.
That quiet... is the heaviest burden a hero bears."*
### ✦ SYMBOL ✦
A lotus flower.
Tucked inside—a green glow.
### ✦ THE SERPENT'S WARNING ✦
> *"Even calm waters drown what lies beneath.
Don’t forget to surface, Tsuyu."*
She nodded, Izuku’s memory a lifeline in her heart.
THE FINAL GATE: THE TWELFTH DOOR – "IZUKU"**
✦
*"The weight of truth rested on a child's shoulders.*
*And no one saw it."*
The narrow, dark passage merged as each hero faced their past and emerged.
Having passed through different doors, they now stood together in the same room.
Before them loomed a massive gate—**Izuku Midoriya’s Door.**
On its surface gleamed a **Tree of Life.**
Half of the tree was withered, its gray branches stretching upward;
the other half shimmered green, traced with golden veins.
But coiled around the tree was **a serpent.**
It seemed to both **protect** and **strangle** it.
The serpent’s eyes pulsed with a vivid green light, breathing life into the door.
Ancient runes and symbols marked its scales—like chains of fate.
At the center of the door lay **twelve interlocking circles**, each carved with the symbols the heroes had found in their own gates.
As if, from the very beginning, they had all been meant to open this one.
---
### ✦ **PLACING THE SYMBOLS** ✦
Katsuki pulled out the **burned notebook of analysis**, his fingers trembling as he slotted it into one of the circles.
The moment it clicked into place, fiery lines spread across the door like veins.
Shoto placed his **fractured ice pendant.**
As it settled, blue flames and snowflakes bloomed on opposite sides of the door.
Kirishima inserted his **cracked but unbroken shield stone.**
Uraraka placed her **floating cluster of stars**, and above the door, a shadow appeared—weightless, suspended.
Mina set down her **dancing figure with glowing footprints**, and a silhouette of a musical note flickered on the withered half of the tree—like a whisper of hope.
Denki slotted in his **shattered, lightning-charged circuit.**
Sero placed his **wrapped compass needle.**
Momo set down a **memory orb**, inside which a flickering moment from Class 1-A’s past played.
Iida firmly placed his **winged wheel.**
Jirou silently positioned her **purple headphone figure.**
Tsuyu carefully laid down the **lotus flower.**
As the final symbol clicked into place, the door **shuddered.**
The withered half of the Tree of Life **cracked**, while the green half **blazed brighter.**
The serpent **opened its eyes.**
And the door **swung open.**
---
### ✦ **BEYOND THE DOOR** ✦
A darkness filled with light…
And then, one by one, echoes of memories began to sound.
> *"You… can’t be my father…"*
Izuku’s voice reverberated.
> *"Shigaraki Tomura is my brother…*
*And you—you asked me to kill him.*
*How… How could I ever do that?"*
His voice trembled, but the fragility in it shook the walls.
> *"I… just wanted to be a hero…"*
The scene shifted.
An ordinary day in Class 1-A:
Izuku smiled in class, but dark circles shadowed his sleepless eyes.
While everyone laughed, he stared into the distance—
the weight on his back an invisible mountain crushing his shoulders.
Then, a night scene:
Izuku sat by the window, his analysis notebook in his lap.
Tears streamed down his face, but not a single word escaped his lips.
---
### ✦ **THE SERPENT'S WHISPER** ✦
> *"Truth has called you.*
*But it demands a price."*
> *"This door does not show just truth…*
*It reveals faith, betrayal, love, and loss."*
> *"If you are ready, step forward.*
*But remember…*
*Nothing will ever be the same again."*
---
### **Inside Izuku’s Door—The Memory of Ruin and Screams**
Izuku sat on the ground, hands on his knees, eyes brimming with tears, his face twisted in agony. The weight in his chest made it hard to breathe. Slowly, he began speaking to the apparitions before him—the past wielders of **One For All**, the links in the chain of power.
**Yoichi’s voice (First User):**
*"Izuku… the burden you carry is heavy. But your strength isn’t just in your body—it’s in your heart."*
**Nana Shimura’s voice:**
*"My boy, this path is drenched in blood, sacrifice, and betrayal. This legacy isn’t just power—it’s pain."*
Izuku’s tears fell freely, his voice shaking:
*"But how… how am I supposed to bear this? My father—All Might—gave me power, but I’ve lost so much. My brother, Shigaraki… He’s a villain. He wants to kill me. How can I be his enemy? Isn’t this… isn’t this madness? I share his blood. How… how can I hurt him?"*
*"Gran Torino told me to kill Shigaraki—my own brother. How can I do that? Do you have any idea how exhausted I am? The lies, the past haunting me, the weight I can’t tell anyone about—do you know what that’s like? Sometimes, they say killing is the same as saving. What kind of curse is this?!"*
**Nana Shimura’s voice, firm but pained:**
*"Izuku, they raised you under this weight. You don’t have to kill your brother—but you must stop his destruction. Heroism isn’t about taking lives. It’s about preserving them. That balance… is yours to uphold."*
Izuku staggered to his feet, fists clenched, voice raw:
*"I’ve had enough! Why are you doing this to me?! I just wanted to be a hero! Why did my family have to be like this? My stepfather is All For One, my father is the Symbol of Peace, and my brother is a villain! Why drag me into this cursed game? What did I ever do to you?! Why… why do I have to suffer so much?! I just wanted to save people! Tell me—how can I save others when I can’t even save myself?!"*
But his scream echoed into a void—no one heard him. The crack in his voice carried a loneliness so vast it was suffocating.
**Yoichi’s calm but shattering words:**
*"Power isn’t blood. It’s choice. Even in this chaos, Izuku… you can carve your own path."*
Izuku fell to his knees, hands covering his face, unable to hold back his tears.
*"Sometimes I think… all of you must be insane. Or maybe I’m the one losing my mind—talking to ghosts of past wielders, one of whom is my father’s mother, another my stepfather’s brother, my brother’s uncle… I’m so tired of everything. How can I destroy my own brother? My duty shouldn’t be to kill him—it should be to save him. But he… he wants to destroy me too."*
---
### **The Heroes’ Silence**
The heroes stood frozen before Izuku’s door, their faces etched with grief. Though they couldn’t see beyond the gate, the agony radiating from it filled the room.
Izuku had collapsed, his silent sobs shaking his frame. His voice, though unheard, screamed in their minds:
*"Why… why is it so heavy? I just wanted to be a hero… But this bloodline, this fate—my father is All Might, the greatest hero… and yet… my brother is Shigaraki, my enemy, my own flesh and blood. How can you ask me to do this? Do you think I’m insane? I can’t kill him! I wish… I wish things were simple. But life… life isn’t like that."*
Suddenly, he lurched to his feet, his scream tearing through the void:
*"IS ANYONE LISTENING TO ME?! I just want to live—to protect! Not to kill my brother! How can I do this?! I’m unraveling! Everything is falling apart! You—the Commission—you can’t do this to me! I’m supposed to be a hero, but not like this! NOT LIKE THIS!"*
The storm beyond the door crashed over the heroes. Katsuki’s fists shook, tears streaking his face. Shoto clenched his jaw, fighting his own pain. Kirishima held his breath, heart pounding. Uraraka shut her eyes in silent prayer. Momo couldn’t speak.
In that moment, Izuku’s anguish reflected their own helplessness—their own betrayals, their own fractures.
**The greatest battle a hero fights is not against villains… but against themselves, their family, and the fate forced upon them.**
---
### **The Commission’s Decision**
As Izuku’s cries echoed, the scene shifted—to a cold, sterile meeting room where the Hero Public Safety Commission deliberated.
All Might stood among them, his face grave.
**Commission Leader:**
*"All Might, the secret must never get out. The truth—that Izuku Midoriya is your biological son, and Shigaraki his brother—must remain hidden. If this leaks, society will collapse into chaos."*
All Might said nothing, eyes downcast.
**Commission Leader (coldly):**
*"And Shigaraki… has gone beyond control. For society’s safety, he must be eliminated. That duty falls to you, All Might… and to your son, Izuku."*
The air turned to ice.
Izuku, reliving the memory, slammed his hands on the table, sending files and glasses crashing to the floor.
*"HOW… HOW CAN YOU ASK ME TO DO THIS?! KILL MY OWN BROTHER?! YOU’RE INSANE! ARE YOU TRYING TO DRIVE ME MAD?! I JUST WANTED TO BE A HERO! HOW… HOW CAN I DO THIS?!"*
His fists trembled, his heart shattered.
Then—his head jerked back. Blood trickled from his nose.
*"This… this is too much…"*
A Commission member swiftly approached, pressing a syringe to his neck.
*"This is for your own good. Calm down."*
Izuku’s eyes grew heavy. His consciousness faded.
**All Might (quietly, to the Commission):**
*"This memory alteration… Is it truly necessary?"*
**Commission Leader (firmly):**
*"We have no choice. For society’s stability… some truths must be forgotten. Izuku—and all heroes—must be prepared for this."*
All Might closed his eyes.
And took a single, shuddering breath.
Chapter 30: "Silent Screams: The Unheard Hero & The Tree of Life, The Roots of Ruin
Summary:
Sometimes the strongest heroes are those who scream the loudest in silence💫🍷✨
Chapter Text
They returned to the room once more.
This time, there was no darkness. No dust of war, no cold walls of the Commission…
Only a familiar place.
Izuku Midoriya’s dorm room in the 1-A dormitory.
An All Might poster on the wall, notebooks scattered on the floor, a small bookshelf in the corner, and a desk covered in analysis files.
Izuku sat on his knees in the middle of the room. His hair was disheveled, dark circles shadowed his eyes, and his nails looked as if they had been bitten countless times. He was muttering to himself, his voice slow and fractured:
> *“If they won’t change…*
*…then I have to tear them down.”*
With trembling hands, he scribbled lines into a notebook. Pages upon pages of calculations, names, dates, and connections… Everything. Every dirty detail.
> *“All the darkness of the Commission…*
*…doesn’t breed a system of heroes, but monsters.*
*And one day…*
*…those monsters are born in the hearts of children who knew their names.”*
He dropped the pen. Slowly, he stood up. His breathing was uneven.
Leaning over the desk, his fingers reached for a photo in the corner.
Class 1-A.
Himself, Shoto, Kacchan, Uraraka, Kirishima… all of them were there.
And they were all smiling.
His eyes welled up. He smiled faintly.
> *“The end of this game was written long ago.*
*I’m just playing the final act.*
*They don’t know… but I do.*
*I’ll be lost on this path.”*
His fingers gently traced the glass of the photo.
A single tear fell onto it.
And then… blood trickled from his nose again.
Izuku didn’t wipe it away. He smiled.
One last look at the photo, at the smiling faces of his friends.
His voice was barely a whisper as he spoke:
> *“I loved you all so much.*
*And I… still do.”*
Then, time froze.
The moment faded.
And the Serpent’s voice rose again.
An invisible presence, yet one that could be felt down to the marrow, echoed through every crevice of the door:
> *“The truth has been seen.*
*Secrets have spilled.*
*Loneliness… is the curse of the chosen.”*
The Tree of Life above the door trembled once more. A beam of light seeped through its withered branches. But then… the door began to close, slowly.
The only sound from within… was the words Izuku had buried in his heart.
And just before the door shut completely, the last thing seen was—
The reflection of a tear on the photo’s glass… and a flicker of green.
The heroes were silent now.
Because words were too light to carry the weight of this moment.
---
### **"Witness" – The Heroes' Emotional Reactions**
#### **Katsuki Bakugou**
Izuku’s voice still rang in his ears.
*“I just wanted to be a hero…”*
That single sentence alone was enough to bring him to his knees.
His fingers trembled. He clenched his fists and pressed them into the ground. Deep cracks formed in the hard stone floor, but they were nothing compared to the fractures inside him.
A question he had asked himself a thousand times resurfaced:
> *“Where was I back then?”*
*“Why couldn’t I see that pain? Why couldn’t I hear it?”*
*“Why couldn’t I protect you, Deku?”*
A single drop fell from his eyes. He never cried. He *shouldn’t* cry.
But now, *not* crying would be betrayal.
Betrayal of his love, of that boy’s heart, of the shattered truths of this broken world…
---
#### **Shoto Todoroki**
He tilted his head slightly. Once, he had been a child touched by his mother’s warm hands. Then, he became a child silenced by his father’s rage.
But now… now he saw another fire burning in his eyes—like the flames that once burned in his brother Touya’s gaze.
> *“Izuku… you were just like us. Alone. But you always tried to look strong.”*
The moments of Izuku speaking with Nana Shimura replayed in his mind.
*“How could I kill my own brother?!”*
That scream… stabbed straight into Shoto’s heart.
He had lost his own brother. But Izuku still had to fight.
*“This isn’t a rescue anymore,”* he told himself.
*“This is atonement.”*
---
#### **Eijirou Kirishima**
His head was bowed. His eyes were wet, but he stood firm as stone.
He hadn’t known Izuku was in so much pain.
He remembered all the times he had laughed, all the times he had cheered up his friends…
And now, he realized that joy had only been a curtain.
> *“You have to kill your own brother.”*
Hearing those words, something inside him shattered.
> *“If I were in your place…”*
No.
He *couldn’t* have been in his place. Surviving that burden would have been a miracle.
---
#### **Ochako Uraraka**
She covered her mouth with her hands.
Tears streamed silently down her face.
> *“Izuku… how did you endure all of this?”*
She had wanted him to dance, to be light, to be free of his burdens…
But now she understood:
> *“He didn’t know how to dance… because the weight of the world was on his shoulders.”*
She took a step forward, then sank to the ground.
Slowly, she wrapped her arms around her knees and pulled them close.
> *“I didn’t see anything. I couldn’t protect him…”*
---
#### **Mina Ashido**
She remembered the day they danced.
That naive moment.
The hesitation on Izuku’s face…
And then, the light in his smile.
> *“And now?”*
*“That light… is shattered.”*
She let out a laugh—but inside, she was weeping.
That laugh, mixed with a scream, cut through the others like a knife.
> *“They broke him. And we didn’t even notice. We all shattered him together…”*
---
#### **Denki Kaminari**
His face was flushed red.
He bit his lip hard.
> *“I… used to joke with him. I always tried to make him laugh.”*
But now he understood.
Those laughs… were just echoes.
> *“The silence inside him… none of us heard it.”*
In that moment, he realized:
Silent screams burned the deepest.
---
#### **Hanta Sero**
His hands pressed against the wall.
He leaned his forehead hard against the stone.
*“I… I could’ve protected him… I didn’t.”*
Behind his cheerful, reassuring demeanor, he now wept like a child.
He felt like someone who had failed to save his own brother.
---
#### **Momo Yaoyorozu**
Notebooks, strategies…
She remembered every plan Izuku had ever written.
But there was one thing she had never read:
His heart.
*“I thought I was smart… but I understood nothing.”*
Tears slipped past her lips.
She was furious with herself.
She had been trained to create anything…
Yet she had created nothing to save him.
---
#### **Tenya Iida**
He straightened his jacket.
His shoulders slumped.
He had always been the one to take responsibility.
But now…
> *“On the path I led… I left behind my most precious friend.”*
He was rule-bound, a defender of justice.
But seeing what the system had done to Izuku…
> *“Rules are not justice,”* he thought.
---
#### **Kyoka Jirou**
Her headphone cords hung limp.
Her trembling hands clutched at her chest, as if trying to stifle the sound of her own heartbeat.
But it was impossible.
Music had always been her escape…
But this pain had no melody.
> *“I should’ve written you a song, Deku…*
*A song that would’ve understood you…”*
---
#### **Tsuyu Asui**
She was silent.
But her eyes mirrored Izuku’s:
A quietly burning lament.
> *“You were so quiet, Izuku-chan… Like water.*
*But beneath the surface, you were drowning while we watched.”*
Slowly, she turned away.
And a single tear fell onto the stone floor.
---
And now…
The Serpent spoke again.
> *“Now…*
*You’re not just searching for him.*
*You’re searching for everything you lost with him.”*
---
### **🕯️ "Echoes in the Heart of Shadows"**
Izuku’s door closes.
The Serpent withdraws, as if sealing a sacred prophecy.
In that moment, in that silence… only breaths can be heard.
Their gazes collide, but no one speaks.
Katsuki is on his knees, his fists still shaking.
Momo bites her lip, staring at the ground to hold back tears.
Jirou silently shakes her head. Shoto’s eyes are still sharp, yet the world behind them seems to crumble.
And then…
A *click*.
The scrape of metal.
Then a shadow—first appearing on the wall, then slipping into the room.
### **🕸️ The Fallen Hero Speaks**
His laugh is mocking, his tone disdainful and cold.
> *“Ah… so another curtain has fallen, huh?”*
*“Suffering… it does something to you. Makes you human.*
*Just like it broke him.”*
From the shadows, that familiar silhouette emerges.
The Fallen Hero.
His tattered cloak is even more torn now, but his smile is as sharp as ever.
> *“What you’ve seen is only the beginning.*
*You haven’t even touched the night inside him yet.”*
He steps closer to the heroes. Kirishima stares at him without blinking.
But the Fallen Hero only turns his head and calls to the Serpent:
> *“Tell me, old friend…*
*How much of the truth should we show them?”*
### **🐍 The Serpent’s Voice**
A soft, high whisper answers:
> *“When the truth blinds their eyes, how shall we test their hearts?*
*The time is not yet up. There are more doors.*
*More broken dreams…”*
Then, the Fallen Hero walks toward the wall, dragging his fingers across it as if staining them with black ash, before turning back:
> *“Let me ask you a question…”*
His gaze locks onto Katsuki:
> *“Do you think he… truly wants to be saved?*
*Or has he made a deal with the shadows in the place where he burns?”*
He laughs.
For a moment, that laugh is the only sound in the room.
Then, in a low voice, he adds:
> *“But don’t worry. The traces will lead you to the right place.*
*If you still have the courage… you’ll find it.”*
### **📜 A New Riddle**
Just before leaving, black ink-like writing appears on the wall:
> *“When the sky burns three times,*
*Silence gives way to screams.*
*The rot of green flows in the river,*
*But the serpent only sees with the right eye.”*
The Fallen Hero turns one last time. His eyes linger on Todoroki.
Then, like a man who knows everything, he whispers:
> *“Your father made you a weapon, your brother made you a cause…*
*But that boy… was the first to see you as human.”*
Then, the shadows begin to swallow his silhouette.
> *“The path is dark. But darkness… is sometimes the only ally.”*
The Serpent whispers one last time:
> *“The roots of the Tree of Life… are still beneath you.”*
The shadows close.
The room falls silent again.
The heroes’ hearts were shattered by the pain revealed behind that door. Tears, kneeling forms, trembling hands… Though none of them could outwardly express the storm inside, a silent fire burned in their chests.
Katsuki’s rage merged with the fragility and helplessness he had long hidden. Shoto wrestled with the weight of the past, desperately trying to feel Izuku’s warmth again. Uraraka, Momo, Denki, Sero, and the others—each of them was broken, yet none fully grasped the magnitude of the quake inside them.
Then, in the depths of the silence, a sound slowly broke through.
From the shadows, a faint laugh rose—the Fallen Hero emerged once more, sinister and smug. The Serpent coiled behind him, slithering through the darkness, winding around the Tree of Life.
*“How sweet,”* the Fallen Hero sneered. *“Little heroes with shattered hopes… The darkness hasn’t even truly begun yet.”*
The Serpent whispered as it circled the tree:
*“Power rising in the shadows… Secrets you cannot comprehend… New riddles… Are you ready?”*
The Fallen Hero’s eyes gleamed with cruel amusement as they pierced the heroes’ souls:
*“Izuku’s story isn’t over. The truth will either drown you or set you free. But first… I must offer you new games.”*
And with that, they retreated into the shadows once more. But the darkness they left behind only deepened the void inside the heroes. New secrets, new pain—behind the next doors, they were waiting.
Chapter 31: Shadow Play: There Will Be No Winner& The Lost Ones of the Chessboard
Summary:
**"On the chessboard, everyone is a pawn...**
**But I *am the one who writes the rules♟️🍷
Sometimes the greatest betrayal is silently watching the truth unfold🐍
Chapter Text
Oda was shrouded in an unshakable silence.** The shadows in the dark corners stirred, as if holding their breath for the awaited moment. At the very center of the throne room sat an unfamiliar figure. Half his face was hidden in shadow, but his lips twisted into a terrible smile—mad, deviant. A thin line of blood trickled from his nose, yet it did not make him appear weak; instead, it lent him a terrifying resolve.
*"Riddles... Riddles again..."* he whispered to himself, his voice drifting softly through the chamber without an echo. *"Truths hidden in shadows, the door to lost secrets... So much is concealed, so many lies..."*
His fingers traced the edge of the throne, nails leaving faint marks in the wood. *"The pieces of this game have long been set. Pawns, queens, kings... But the true player waits in the deepest shadows."*
His eyes gleamed in the dark—for a moment, they resembled the gaze of someone you’d never met: cruel, intelligent, and unhinged. *"One day, everyone will lift the veil. The web of betrayal, the weight of love, the whispers of rage... All will dance together. And I... I won’t just watch. I will play the game."*
In the silence, he whispered again, *"No matter which door opens, no matter what secret is revealed... There is only one truth: The game has already begun, and no one will win."*
As the blood dripped down his face, his mad smile never faded. That grin was the harbinger of a storm that would shatter the world—a player who feared no one, bowed to no one, seated upon his own dark throne.
---
**The Gameplayer’s smile never wavered** as he strode heavily toward a wooden table. Before him lay a wide-open chessboard, black and white pieces arranged in silent anticipation. His hands gently picked up a serpent with gleaming emerald-green eyes resting at the table's edge.
The snake coiled sinuously between his fingers, its obsidian scales absorbing the light, dark and fathomless. It carried an air of hidden mystery. As he touched the chess pieces, whispers began to rise—words dancing faintly in the air, enigmatic riddles echoing in his ears.
He tightened his embrace around the serpent as it wound around his neck, his eerie smile widening with boundless delight. Cradling the snake’s head, he rested his forehead against it gently.
But the snake responded instantly—baring its fangs with a soft hiss, its voice reverberating through the silence like carnival fire.
The Gameplayer slowly set the snake down on the rim of a goblet beside the chessboard. The serpent coiled around the cup, its body spiraling downward before hissing again—deeper, far more menacing.
Like fragments of hidden truths, the snake and the chessboard dictated the rules of the game. The silent room held only whispers, hisses, and the shifting of pieces. No one knew, but he had already moved all the pawns.
And no one would win.
---
**As the snake coiled around the goblet**, strange, ominous whispers rose in the dark chamber. The words slipping from the Gameplayer’s lips were like riddles—both a summons and a warning:
*"Born from shadows, it shatters the light,*
*A name it has, yet never spoken outright...*
*No matter the path, the end is the same,*
*The moving pieces are but the start of the game."*
The snake’s emerald eyes glinted as another whisper escaped his lips:
*"Chained hands dream of freedom’s embrace,*
*Behind locked doors, forgotten secrets wait in place,*
*And who can say whose heart truly beats…*
*Silently, like wings in shadow’s space."*
Just then, a white-haired figure approached soundlessly from behind—**Shigaraki**. His eyes glowed softly in the dark, and with a motion almost tender, he gently touched the boy’s hair.
*"Playing with the snake again,"* he murmured, voice low and melancholic.
The boy shrugged slightly, responding with a childlike silence—innocent yet profound.
Shigaraki stroked his hair gently before pressing his lips to the boy’s forehead—a silent, wordless bond stronger than speech.
The boy gazed at the emerald eyes in his hands, whispering once more—this time cold and sharp, almost threatening:
*"Every game begins with a single stone,*
*Every stone hides a truth unknown…*
*Eyes that gleam in the dark,*
*Are not proof of power I own,*
*But heralds of the self I’ve shown.*
*And you… you walk in my shadow.*
*You are my patron."*
Shigaraki bowed his head slightly, but a storm raged within him—knowingly or not, he too was a piece in the unfolding game.
And there, in that dark room, though none spoke the truth aloud, the unspoken reality hung heavy in the air.
---
📍 **Scene: On the Edge of Shadows, the Teeth of Truth**
They walked with weary steps under the flickering light of dim lanterns. The echo of their footsteps on damp stones mingled with the whispers from the door they had just witnessed closing. The weight of memories pressed upon them like stone. No one spoke.
At the tunnel’s end stood a rusted iron gate leading to the outside world. The long silence was broken by Kirishima forcing it open. A creak followed, letting in the dusty sunlight.
The tunnel’s end was now behind them. But the outside was not freedom—it was a deeper darkness. Even the sky seemed unwilling to shelter them; the light filtering through the gray clouds was feeble.
Exhausted, silent, shattered, they moved forward. But the silence did not last.
At the edge of the darkness, another shadow emerged from the abyss.
**The Fallen Hero.**
*"What happened?"* he asked, his voice cracked with mockery. *"Did the truth wear you out? Did the darkness inside that boy—"* His voice broke, then rose again, *"—did it suffocate you too? Pathetic… And we’ve only just begun."*
Katsuki’s fists clenched. His eyes still burned, but his face was sunken, his breath uneven. Step by step, he advanced.
*"Enough,"* he growled. *"You’ve talked enough. Asked questions, whispered riddles, tore us apart. When do you plan to shut up, huh? Are you really on our side, or are you just playing games?"*
The Fallen Hero smirked.
*"I’m just a guide, not the King. The choice is yours. But… the snake must whisper, or you cannot move, isn’t that right?"*
Again, that mad, amused smile.
Again, hands in pockets, head slightly tilted.
Again, watching their ruin—with glee, with malice.
*"What happened?"* he taunted, voice brittle yet sharp. *"Didn’t it go as you hoped? The doors, the riddles, the ghosts of the past… Ah, my children… I expected more than just tears from you. I expected some intelligence."*
At that, Uraraka slammed her trembling fists into the ground, tears streaming.
*"What do you want from us?! Huh?! How much longer do we have to watch him?! Izuku… he was so… alone! We were all there, but no one saw! What do you want from us?!"*
*"Enough already!"* Kirishima shouted.
*"You won’t even tell us what’s happening! You leave us drowning in our fears! What are we supposed to do?! How much more do we have to hurt ourselves?!"*
Shoto was silent at first, but when the Fallen Hero’s gaze turned to him, a growl-like sentence escaped his lips:
*"If this is the price of everything… we’ve already paid. What are you trying to prove?!"*
Katsuki lunged forward, eyes bloodshot.
*"When are you gonna shut your damn mouth?!"* he snarled. *"What do we even have left?! Izuku… Do you think we forgot him?! Huh?! Do you think you understand his pain better than us?!"*
The Fallen Hero stepped closer, his mocking grin widening.
*"Ah… you. Still clinging to the delusion of being ‘the good ones.’ Still believing justice means something. Still thinking you can comprehend Izuku’s suffering…* ***Pathetic.***"
The air between them turned to ice.
*"Don’t blame me,"* said the Fallen Hero, voice thick with perverse joy.
*"I only held up the mirror. You looked. And finally, you saw: Izuku was never alone. THAT was the game. AND YOU’RE STILL PLAYING."*
His eyes gleamed—with pleasure or madness, it was unclear.
Yet from his pocket, he pulled out a crumpled note.
Still helping.
*"Here…"* he murmured, voice like a hissing serpent.
*"New coordinates. A new key. An old place the Commission silenced. Maybe you’ll find answers there. Or… just more pain."*
Katsuki snatched the note from him angrily. But the moment he touched it, his fingers trembled. Because on the paper, in his own childhood handwriting, was a single word:
**"WATCH."**
The Fallen Hero locked eyes with Shoto.
*"And you, broken bird. Still trapped in his shadow. Do you remember the words? ‘If the red bird returns…’ A heart still beats in the flames. But it burns… and burns."*
Shoto’s knees nearly gave out. He had heard those words in his dreams.
The Fallen Hero turned away, laughing as he melted into the shadows.
*"In a rotten hero society, how sweetly the melody of collapse rings… Watch. It’s not over. It’s only just begun."*
The shadows swallowed him. But his voice echoed one last time:
*"If the doors have opened… blood will flow. Wake up already. Because none of you are truly awake."*
Chapter 32: Heroes and Martyrs & Vengeance of the Forgotten
Summary:
"No one belongs to the sky. Even shadows... learn to walk when their time comes."🌑
They turned me into a weapon… and I cheered for it."💥
Chapter Text
Breathing – The End of the Tunnel**
It was that strange hour between night and dawn. Neither fully dark nor light… just gray.
When the heroes emerged from the tunnel, no one spoke at first. Those standing walked, those who had fallen were helped up, but no one met each other’s eyes.
Kirishima sat at the base of a rock, burying his head between his knees.
Mina quietly knelt beside him, wordlessly taking his hand.
Denki lifted his head to the sky without a word, his eyelids trembling.
Shoto was still preoccupied with the Fallen Hero’s last words. *"The red bird..."*
Tsuyu turned her face toward the shadows of the trees, hiding her tears.
A campfire was lit. It was weak, but warm enough.
As the crackling flames cut through the silence, Katsuki finally spoke.
*"What the hell are we doing?"* His voice was still rough.
*"Gates, snakes, games… Was this our mission?!"*
No one answered. But he hated silence.
*"I... I just wanted to find him. That’s all. Is that... too much to ask?"*
Before his eyes could well up, he turned his head away. His fingers dug into the dirt as his voice cracked:
*"Seeing him like that… that damn image…"*
Momo clasped her hands in her lap and spoke softly.
*"Izuku… hid everything from us. Everything... And we couldn’t see it."*
Jirou shook her head, staring at the ground.
*"And we thought he was a hero... He fought so much harder than we ever did. Silently."*
Uraraka bit her cracked lips.
*"I… saw something in his eyes. It was always there. But I never had the courage to ask. It was selfish. I was afraid of the answer."*
Iida straightened his legs and sat up, but his glasses were fogged.
*"I wish… I could talk to him. One last time. Not as a hero. Just as a friend. Maybe… just as a person."*
Silence fell again.
Shoto finally lifted his head.
*"The gates took us to the past. But what we buried there wasn’t just his past. It was ours."*
Katsuki lowered his head.
*"Whatever you did to us…"* he muttered to himself, *"I hope it wasn’t even half of what you did to him."*
Just then, a crackling voice came from the small radio Jirou had turned on.
A news channel delivered a single sentence that lodged in their throats:
> *"Movement at the Commission headquarters… no statement yet… regarding leaked documents from within the Hero Association..."*
Katsuki’s eyes remained fixed on the flames.
They looked at each other. Exhausted, broken, worn down—but still standing.
And in that moment, perhaps for the first time… they truly felt like a team.
On the same path, bearing the same weight, sharing the same grief.
But maybe… also the same hope.
---
🎙️ **NATIONAL BROADCAST – A Voice Rising from the Shadows**
> *"We have no confirmed information yet, but… footage will be on your screens shortly. Classified documents from the National Hero Commission were leaked into our system just before dawn. By an unidentified individual… or rather, a group."*
A grainy image appeared on screen.
A rooftop.
Amid the gray mist, a figure stood among the shadows.
A cloak, shifting between black and green, draped over their shoulders.
On their face—something old, something familiar:
A cracked, weathered U.A. mask. But their eyes… gleamed like emeralds.
And they were smiling.
Not the smile of a child… but of a master of the game.
Beside them stood another.
White hair whipped by the wind, eyes hollow as a ghost’s. The mask covering his face couldn’t hide the blue fire in his eyes—Touya Todoroki.
And another, chin raised as if defying the world. The mask obscuring his face was only a fraction of the destruction he would bring—Tomura Shigaraki.
Then came the voice.
The figure on screen wasn’t speaking.
But in the background, a high, chilling whisper echoed.
A voice layered over the recording.
> *"This is not the voice of justice.
This is the scream of the voices you forgot.
Your rotting institutions, your thrones built on the sacrifices of others…
No longer yours.
The throne has returned to its rightful owner.
This is not a game.
This is the final act."*
And then, the documents began to flood in.
🔹 Lab reports proving All Might’s blood samples were tampered with.
🔹 Izuku Midoriya’s birth certificate: Biological father listed as *Toshinori Yagi*.
🔹 The Commission’s planned *"controlled eradication program"* for Shigaraki.
🔹 And… a deleted but recovered file: *"Codename: Serpent’s Whisper – Detainment Report."*
The national broadcaster swallowed hard.
*"At this moment… security levels nationwide have been raised to maximum.
Protests have begun outside the Commission headquarters.
The people… just want answers."*
Then another voice cut in.
> *"The United Hero Agency has yet to disclose the whereabouts of No. 1 Hero Ground Zero, No. 2 Hero Shoto, and No. 6 Hero Red Riot.
No word from other heroes either.
The public is in chaos—left without heroes once again, just like eight years ago."*
In the background, the figure on the rooftop slowly turned their head.
A serpent-patterned armband fluttered in the wind.
Touya’s flames flickered at his shoulder, while Shigaraki’s gaze remained fixed on the ground.
The final frame zoomed in on the masked figure’s eyes.
And once more, the whisper returned:
> *"No one belongs to the sky.
Even shadows… learn to walk when their time comes."*
The screen went black.
---
**CHAPTER: In the Shadow of the Throne – National Broadcast**
When the signal cut out, it felt like everyone’s hearts stopped for a second.
The news anchor’s voice distorted, the screen flickered, then went completely dark.
Then silence.
And then—that image.
The floor was paved with black and white tiles. Like a massive chessboard.
Though the light source was invisible, the stone table in the center glowed faintly.
At the head of the board stood a figure.
Masked.
The face covering resembled All Might, once a symbol of hope…
But now twisted, drowned in darkness, reduced to a shadow of an icon.
That mask no longer stood for courage—it was the face of a nightmare.
The figure—whether man, monster, or some familiar ghost—quietly lifted a piece.
A black knight.
And placed it in front of a red pawn on the board.
Then it spoke.
Its voice echoed, not from the walls, but from inside them.
> *"The beginning of the game was clear.
The end was written long ago.
But you still don’t know which side is white, and which is black…"*
The camera angle shifted.
Something slithered down the figure’s arm:
An emerald-eyed, black-scaled serpent.
Silently, it coiled toward a silver goblet.
Wrapped around it, lifted its head… and hissed.
Then, another figure emerged.
White-haired.
Scarred.
But alive.
Though his face was masked, exhaustion—Shigaraki’s exhaustion—seeped from his gaze.
He approached.
Touched the figure’s hair.
The other reacted like a child—a small shrug, then turned away, smiling.
And then came the line:
> *"When a king falls, who takes his place?
And if the fallen king returns to the throne… what then?"*
The screen went dark.
---
**CHAPTER: Safe House – Reactions**
No one spoke.
The silence in the room was like collapse itself.
Momo dropped the notebook in her lap.
Shoto didn’t even wipe the sweat from his brow. That image was burned into his eyes.
Denki leaned against the wall, hand to his forehead, staring at the ceiling in disbelief.
Katsuki stood motionless in front of the screen.
His face was chalk-white.
Jaw clenched, fists trembling.
*"That…"*
*"That’s not a hero. This is a nightmare. It’s… gotta be a joke."*
Jirou couldn’t hold back her tears.
*"This isn’t a broadcast. It’s a warning. A declaration of war."*
Tsuyu asked quietly:
*"Why does that figure have the Commission’s files?"*
Because this wasn’t just footage.
Classified documents had flashed on the screen.
The Commission’s dark experiments, Shigaraki’s true identity,
and even… a file labeled *"Project Genesis"*—individuals marked for *"reconditioning"* in the name of public trust.
For a moment, Yaoyorozu couldn’t breathe.
*"Are these documents… real?"*
*"If all of this is true… what have we been a part of?"*
Kirishima slammed his fist into the ground.
*"We fought for heroes… But maybe we were just fighting for a lie."*
Uraraka sank to the floor, covering her eyes with her hands.
*"Whoever that masked person is… how do they know so much?"*
As they reeled, something else became clear:
The national broadcaster had reconnected.
But the anchor’s voice was shaky, afraid.
> *"The Hero Commission still hasn’t issued a statement…
But panic is spreading.
Ground Zero, Shoto, and Red Riot remain missing.
The disappearance of the No. 1, No. 2, and No. 6 heroes… has triggered a crisis."*
People were screaming in the streets.
Social media had gone wild.
Some saw the masked figure as a new savior,
Others as a harbinger of disaster.
But none of them knew…
The name of the one at the head of the board.
And our heroes still didn’t know either.
Who the game master was.
But they were starting to feel it.
That voice…
That laugh…
That darkness that sent chills down their spines even without seeing those eyes…
Something about it was familiar.
---
**The Shadow of Fear Over the City**
The streets were eerily quiet under the dim gray evening light.
People spoke in hushed tones, eyes darting nervously.
Hearts pounded with dread.
The masked figure’s revelations echoed what Touya Todoroki had exposed years ago.
The same shock, now swallowing the entire country.
---
**Whispers of the People, Despair and Panic**
*"Where are the heroes? Where’s the symbol of peace? That boy, Izuku Midoriya… He died in the war, right?"*
An old man trembled as he whispered:
*"Now we learn he was All Might’s son. A true legend…"*
But legends were buried underground now.
A mother hugged her child, tears streaming:
*"We have no one left to save us. The legends are gone. Our hope is lost."*
---
**The Crisis Grows**
Young people scrolled through panicked news on their phones.
Voices rose, fear spread.
*"Our legend is dead,"* they said. *"We have no savior left."*
TV anchors tried to stay calm, but their words carried helplessness:
*"Izuku Midoriya died in battle eight years ago. But leaked documents now prove he was All Might’s son—a truth hidden for years. This could trigger a national crisis."*
---
**The Commission’s Panic**
In the highest office, tension was suffocating.
The Commission President’s eyes burned with fury and fear.
*"If this truth gets out, public trust will collapse. If we lose control, chaos follows!"*
Advisors muttered among themselves:
*"We need Ground Zero, Shoto, and Red Riot. The public still believes in them. They’re our only hope to control the narrative."*
The President’s voice was icy.
*"But remember—our past mistakes are coming back to haunt us. Time is running out."*
---
**Cracks in the City’s Heart**
That night, the streets drowned in sorrow.
Whispers carried broken hopes.
Heroes were no longer just warriors—they were bearers of shattered dreams.
And the last fragments of those dreams now carried the name of a boy lost to war.
The city, once sheltered under his shadow, was now plunging into a new darkness.
---
**So-Called Heroes**
Wind howled through abandoned buildings.
The country was realizing everything it knew had been a lie.
And now, the surviving heroes of Class 1-A huddled in the ruins like refugees.
But the outside world wouldn’t stay silent.
When their comms buzzed, no one flinched.
They all knew they stood on the edge of another truth.
And in this abandoned safe house, the man once known as *Ground Zero*—Katsuki Bakugou—could barely stand.
He had been a symbol. A star. The nation’s hope.
Now, he clutched his face in front of a shattered mirror, breathing in the shadows.
This wasn’t anger.
This was regret, nailed to his chest.
This was the moment he realized—Izuku Midoriya, whose body he thought he’d found on the battlefield years ago, might never have been gone at all.
*"What was I protecting? What was I fighting for?"*
He whispered to himself:
> *"They turned me into a weapon… and I cheered for it."*
---
Katsuki sat in a corner, hands pressed to his forehead.
His eyes were red—not from exhaustion, but from the weight of disbelief.
*"He died eight years ago,"* they’d said.
He had carried him off that battlefield himself.
And yet… what he’d seen, what he’d heard… that whisper… he couldn’t deny it.
> *"How… is this possible?"*
When his knees buckled, Shoto silently approached.
Placed a scarred hand on his shoulder.
Despite his own storm, he felt Katsuki shaking.
Shoto Todoroki, the calm and composed No. 2 hero in the public’s eyes, now had a fractured world in his gaze.
Touya—his brother—was still alive.
And now, Izuku… that boy they’d all burdened with the mask of a savior… was slowly unraveling before them.
> *"When the red bird returns… you’ll see what’s real and what’s a lie,"*
the Fallen Hero had told him.
Now, he wasn’t sure *anything* was real.
Kirishima stared at his blood-stained gauntlets.
*"If he’s alive… why didn’t he come back to us?"*
*"Or… could he not?"*
There were no answers.
Only uncertainty.
Only weight.
And then—their comms screeched to life.
> **"CRITICAL ALERT
NATIONAL PANIC: COMMISSION’S HIDDEN TRUTHS EXPOSED
GROUND ZERO, SHOTO, RED RIOT—THE PEOPLE ARE CALLING FOR YOU
ADDRESS THE NATION NOW. YOU ARE THEIR ONLY HOPE."**
The words crashed down on them like stones.
Katsuki’s head snapped up.
Shoto’s fists clenched.
Kirishima’s eyes went blank.
Each thought the same thing:
> *"They want to use us again."*
*"They want to make us symbols again."*
*"But what if our symbol is already gone?"*
Katsuki stood abruptly, hurling the comm against the wall.
*"Again?! You want us to clean up your mess?!"*
His voice shook.
*"All these years… you silenced everything! Now you want us to silence the people?!"*
Shoto lowered his gaze.
*"They’re still trying to control us… just like before."*
Momo curled into herself.
*"What if he really does come back? What if it’s not him? What if it’s something else?"*
Then—a shadow flickered on the wall.
Like mist, it seeped into the room.
The Fallen Hero appeared, amusement glinting in his eyes.
He seemed to relish this—visibly, viscerally.
With a snap of his fingers, he spoke.
The Fallen Hero.
Laughing.
Mocking, sly, almost affectionate.
> *"What’s wrong? Don’t like being symbols anymore?"*
*"Or are your tears not enough to comfort the people?"*
*"Maybe they don’t need a hero… maybe they need a martyr."*
His gaze locked onto Katsuki.
> *"Yes… a martyr. Remember that boy? The one kneeling by the lake, hands bloody, calling out a single name?"*
Katsuki’s teeth ground together.
*"Shut up—"*
The Fallen Hero smiled.
*"No… No, we’re just getting started."*
> *"What’s wrong? Did you lose your voice when you lost your hope?"*
*"Your symbol is already buried, isn’t he?"*
*"You thought you could save that boy, but you lost him… because you lost yourselves first."*
Katsuki lunged to his feet.
*"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU KNOW?!"*
> *"I know everything,"* the Fallen Hero said, eyes glinting with cruel amusement.
*"Because shadows hear everything first. The red bird has returned… and now the other half of the song is being whispered."*
*"But you… you never learned the lyrics."*
Shoto stiffened—hearing Touya in those words.
*"What are you saying…?"*
> *"Truths are like stones. Lies are buried underground. But some games… are like chess."*
*"And the king has already moved."*
The Fallen Hero grinned.
Behind him, the serpent uncoiled from the shadows.
Its emerald eyes gleamed as it watched them.
The serpent slithered closer.
Circled them.
And whispered:
> *"When the red bird returns…
Lies will weigh like stones.
But some truths… rise from beneath the earth."*
But the heroes were no longer silent.
Katsuki clenched his fists.
*"This time… we decide."*
Shoto glared into the dark.
*"And everyone will learn how dirty the past really was."*
Denki’s voice trembled.
*"We either finish this… or we all burn."*
Tsuyu nodded silently.
Iida removed his glasses, saying nothing.
But his tears screamed louder than words.
Chapter 33: Shadows Cast the Loudest Lies & Checkmate in the Dark
Summary:
**"Shadows devour even the brightest victories...
Now the throne sits empty,
yet none dare claim its darknessWhile eleven stars birth a crown,
The twelfth sharpens the dagger🗡️✨👑
Chapter Text
The Gate of Prophecy: The Throne Beyond the Stars**
*(Katsuki Bakugou’s Dream)*
As the darkness of sleep descended like a curtain behind his eyelids, reality receded. The noise, the blood, the responsibility, the betrayal—all faded away. What carried them off was neither time nor wind—it was the call of an ancient silence beneath the stars.
When Katsuki opened his eyes, there was none of the familiar warmth of dreams.
This was a void.
But that void pulsed like the heart of the universe. The sky stretched above, an endless expanse of darkness. Stars—thousands of them—trembled as if desperate to scream. And among them… something lingered.
No… *someone* lingered.
Their footsteps made no sound, yet with every step, the fabric of time itself seemed to strain. The figure, slipping between the stars, approached silently. And the closer they came, the more Katsuki’s sense of familiarity twisted into dread.
On their feet were familiar red sneakers—old, worn, but clean. As if the dust had been shaken off with every step. Before them rose massive stone stairs, spiraling into the heavens. A throne… so distant that the mere sight of it choked him.
And the figure began to climb.
But with every step—something fell from them.
On the first step, a battered All Might trading card slipped through their fingers. As it spun in the air, the engraved "NO.1" glimmered against the night. The card never hit the ground—it hung suspended, like a forgotten childhood memory trapped in time.
On the second step, a notebook tumbled from their pocket. A faded name was scrawled on the cover, but the dream’s mist obscured it. Before it could hit the ground, the notebook flipped open—and Katsuki heard his own voice:
*“If you analyze so much, why are you still such an idiot?”*
The words were hoarse, echoing from the past.
On the third step, a shattered mask fell. More than half of it was gone—especially the part that covered the mouth. As if someone had silenced the smile. Katsuki had to squint; staring at that cracked mask felt like a blade to his chest.
And… on the final step, something else drifted down.
This, only Katsuki would recognize:
A scrap of fabric—torn, ash-stained, and green.
Familiar. Worn. Still warm.
When he had clutched that fabric after the war… it felt like a piece of his own chest had been torn away.
His eyes narrowed in the dream, but his soul bled.
The figure finally reached the summit.
The throne.
Carved from black stone, it hung suspended in the sky as if it belonged to time itself. Neither summoned nor rejected—it simply *was*.
Just like the dream that had lived in his mind for years.
The figure sat.
And in that moment, eleven stars ignited in a circle around the throne.
As if breathing. As if waiting.
Katsuki’s heart pounded violently as the stars spoke:
> *“When war falls silent, the quiet reigns.*
> *The lies born in silence*
> *Shatter with a child’s whisper.*
> *The throne awaits the names to be rewritten.*
> *And the eleven stars burn until the choice is made.”*
Katsuki struggled to breathe.
*“Who are you?!”*
But the figure didn’t answer.
Their face remained shrouded.
But one detail was clear:
A coiled emerald-green serpent tattoo, winding up their right arm.
And that tattoo’s eyes—like the figure’s own—stared back at Katsuki.
Cold, yet alive.
Silenced, yet still speaking.
Then, slowly, the figure tilted their head. Their lips moved.
But the voice wasn’t words—it was a vibration:
*“You’re still here.”*
The universe cracked.
The sky split like a blade.
Katsuki jolted awake, an invisible pain stabbing his chest. His palms trembled. His heart raced as if he’d fought an enemy.
But one whisper still echoed in his ears:
*“Even the loser can bring victory.”*
And only one person could have said that.
But their name remained a secret.
---
**The Prophecy from the Flames**
*(Shoto Todoroki’s Dream)*
The dream was born in silence, on the edge of time.
For a moment, everything stood still.
No wind, no birdsong…
The sky was starless, the moon a dull eye gazing down.
Shoto walked through the silence, his feet pressing into familiar ground.
Saketo Hill.
The cursed night Touya climbed to show his father the blue flames.
Where fire had scorched the sky and turned childhood to ash.
The dream trembled like a wound in the fogged mirror of the past.
Blue flames rose from the hill, licking the sky as time fractured.
But the fire burned not with pain—but with *hope*.
And that hope flickered in the eyes of a small boy kneeling in the flames.
Touya.
Alone.
Waiting.
His face held the fragility of a child still believing, *“Maybe he’ll come.”*
But the dream was loyal to the past—Endeavor never came that night.
And the boy slowly began to vanish in the fire.
Then, Shoto’s childhood self—a small silhouette—emerged from the dark.
His tiny steps were hesitant but determined.
Tears welled in his eyes, his hands shook.
He stepped into the flames.
*“Big brother!”*
His scream carried the weight of a shattered life.
Little Shoto threw himself into Touya’s arms.
Even as the flames seared his skin, he didn’t pull away.
He clung, even if it meant burning.
*“Don’t be alone,”* he whispered.
*“Please… never be alone again.”*
Then, the scene shifted.
As the flames dimmed, another hand touched Shoto’s shoulder.
He turned.
It was Touya—grown, scarred, but with a resignation in his eyes.
Not sorrow—forgiveness.
He embraced his brother.
A silent peace, sprouting in the past.
Shoto stayed there, wordless.
Until—the sky cracked again.
A throne emerged from the void.
Tall. Cold. Timeless.
More than a symbol—it was a call. A prophecy.
Touya’s voice echoed:
> *“As the stars turn, choices are made.*
> *Some thrones are born for you—others, you forge yourself.*
> *And some… rise only when you destroy yourself.”*
Shoto held his breath.
At that moment, a figure appeared in the distance.
The same one Katsuki had seen—but here, different.
Their arrival set the world aflame.
The sky became a dome of fire.
Red sneakers…
Stepping onto stone stairs.
Every footstep echoed.
As if even the stars recoiled.
Touya continued:
> *“Some are born with their names carved in the sky.*
> *Others carve their names to be reborn.”*
The figure paused on the first step.
Silence fell.
Time held its breath.
Then, from the edge of the sky, another silhouette appeared.
Footsteps silent, but their impact immense.
Red sneakers touched the first stair, and the world froze.
With every step, the past whispered.
Embers reshaped.
And Touya fell silent—because now, the throne spoke.
The figure climbed to the summit.
With every step, the sky brightened.
Shadow and light rebalanced.
And finally… they sat.
Eleven stars.
Blazing behind the throne like a momentary birth.
Moonlight revealed the tattoo coiled around their left arm.
A serpent.
Emerald eyes gleaming—watching Shoto.
It writhed like a living brand.
Then, the figure bowed their head.
The prophecy rose:
> *“The one who ascends is not alone.*
> *The stars that walk in their shadow carry the truth.*
> *What emerges from the fire echoes in the darkest water.*
> *Your sibling is your enemy.*
> *Your enemy is your savior.”*
Shoto’s eyes filled.
Only the tears on the ground told him he was crying.
He didn’t know why. Or for whom.
The sky shattered.
The throne dissolved.
The stars turned to ash.
A final whisper came from the figure—back turned, head bowed:
> *“What burns… is the brightest thing inside.”*
And the dream ended.
Shoto awoke drenched in sweat.
The echo still rang in his soul.
Those red sneakers…
That tattoo…
The figure hidden among the stars—
it all remained with him.
---
**The Broken Shield’s Shadow**
*(Kirishima’s Dream)*
The dream first unfolded in a darkened room.
Cracked stones underfoot, distant screams echoing off the walls…
Kirishima stood alone in an unfamiliar void.
But this solitude weighed heavier than any fall.
Then, a dim light spilled forth.
A familiar corridor materialized—the long, silent hallway leading to U.A. High’s hero course.
Yet here, everything was inverted.
Flags hung faded, windows shattered.
The hero posters on the walls had eyes gouged out by darkness.
As his footsteps echoed, a voice whispered:
> *“Since when did being a hero mean suffering, Eijirou?”*
He kept walking, unshaken.
But with each step, the ground beneath him dissolved.
The unbreakable rock had turned to sand.
A door loomed ahead.
Light seeped from beneath—it made his throat tighten.
A place from his internship days…
The Hero Public Safety Commission’s classified archives.
He’d never entered. But it had always been there.
*Off-limits.*
And that’s why he’d wondered.
When he pushed the door open…
his eyes met words scrawled in blood:
> *“You were trained in false heroism.”*
> *“They didn’t protect you—they used you.”*
> *“The betrayal was systematic.”*
Files cascaded to the floor.
One folder stuck to his hands—his own name on the label.
Trembling, he opened it.
The document inside revealed the Commission’s truth:
They’d deliberately sent his friends into danger zones.
The purpose?
*“To test emotional resilience.”*
When Katsuki was kidnapped, Kirishima had been on a surveillance mission—unaware.
They’d told him only: *“Patrol the route.”*
> *“How much did you grasp, unbreakable hero?”*
> *“We coated your strength with lies.”*
> *“And you smiled while your friend was torn apart.”*
Suddenly, the file ignited.
Ashes scattered skyward.
Kirishima reached out—but he could grasp nothing.
His fists shook.
For the first time, he felt *not hard enough*, collapsing to his knees.
A shadow emerged behind him.
A figure, familiar yet indistinct, seeped from the dark.
It leaned close, whispering:
> *“Hardening isn’t enough.*
> *You’ll crack unless you face the truth.”*
When he looked up…
a throne loomed in the sky.
The same one Katsuki and Shoto had seen.
Red sneakers…
The serpent tattoo…
And that nameless figure, watching.
Light blinded him.
The voice behind him grew firmer:
> *“If you’re one of the eleven stars,*
> *you must carry the truth.*
> *It’s not about being unbreakable—*
> *it’s about rising even when shattered.”*
Then, the dream splintered.
Dust.
Ash.
Vanishing like classified documents into the dark.
Kirishima woke drenched in sweat, fists clenched.
But the red in his eyes…
wasn’t just from waking.
It was the first spark of *real* fury.
---
### 🌌 **Uraraka’s Dream: "I Knew You as I Fell"**
When Uraraka opened her eyes, time had stopped.
The sky was a sheet of endless gray, clouds devouring the city like shadows.
No wind blew.
Yet a whisper lingered—the scent of pain, a muffled scream from the past.
Underfoot, a rooftop.
Unfamiliar, but the weight it carried was known.
*High.*
Below, a shattered city—crushed streets, hero logos trampled.
A figure stood in the ruins.
A woman in a white dress stained with red, hair tangled like chaos.
She was *smiling*.
A flower watered with blood, grotesquely elegant.
> *“You used to shine so bright, Ochako-chan…”*
> *“But even stars fall, don’t they?”*
Uraraka’s breath caught.
Her heart seized.
*Toga.*
That voice, that fevered darkness—it was *hers*.
But this had to be a dream.
Toga had died years ago…
Drowned in her own blood.
*Right?*
> *“You always wanted to help.*
> *But some wounds bleed worse when touched.*
> *Some hearts shatter when loved.”*
The woman stepped closer. Each footfall echoed in Uraraka’s skull.
Tears spilled.
She crumpled to her knees.
Amid the wreckage, she felt naked. *Powerless.*
The weight of children’s screams—ones she couldn’t save—pressed down.
> *“I loved you, Ochako-chan.*
> *Truly… like I loved him.*
> *But you were always inside the system.*
> *While we rotted outside.”*
The sky split.
Black stars rained down—lightless, streaked with crimson.
A throne erupted from the earth.
Glorious. Terrible. Divine.
And then *they* came.
Red sneakers touched the ground—and the world hushed.
The figure’s face was shadowed, but each step etched itself into memory.
One arm bandaged to the elbow, the other marked by a black serpent tattoo.
Toga whispered:
> *“Now it begins…*
> *Only those who fall recognize the one who rises.”*
As the figure reached the throne, the sky blazed anew.
Eleven stars.
Igniting one by one.
Each bore a different burden:
*Loss. Betrayal. Silence. Justice. Blood. Rage.*
Yet all converged on a single point:
> *“The throne will rise again.”*
Toga’s gaze locked onto Uraraka.
No smile now.
Only the ghost of a child long gone.
> *“You loved to fly.*
> *But this time, you’ll know them as you fall.*
> *Because only the broken see the rising shadow clearly.”*
Uraraka shut her eyes.
And began to *fall*.
---
### ⚖️ **Momo’s Dream: "In Justice’s Shadow"**
The dream wove itself from mist.
Momo stood in a gray void—no sky, no earth.
Only a colossal scale of justice, frozen in time.
Its twin plates were cracked, ancient.
One held faceless people—silenced heroes, erased names.
The other bore a blindfolded statue, stained with blood.
*Lady Justice.*
Yet even she had fallen, ensnared by her own instrument.
Momo’s bare feet touched the cracked ground—and she shuddered.
The air was thick.
Each breath scratched her throat with *injustice*.
Then—movement.
A figure emerged from the fog.
Red sneakers *clicked* against the bleakness, defiant.
Their back was straight, shoulders ghostly yet familiar.
One arm bandaged in white; the other marked by a black serpent tattoo coiling from wrist to shoulder.
The snake writhed—*alive*.
Slithering upward, claiming its host.
The figure walked toward the throne behind the scale.
With each step, an object fell:
A cracked All Might card. A burned notebook page. A shattered mask.
And one thing only Momo would know—
A file from U.A.’s archives, stamped with the Commission’s seal.
Her eyes widened.
As the figure climbed the throne, darkness gave way to stars.
When they sat, the sky *ignited*.
Eleven stars.
Arrayed behind the throne—cold, relentless.
A verdict hanging in the air.
The figure whispered without lifting their head.
The words *shook* the world.
> *“When the scales of justice break,*
> *The born stars decide.*
> *The serpent remembers not who was right…*
> *But who was *silenced*.”*
The tattoo flared.
A silhouette etched into the night.
Momo’s blood turned to ice.
For a second, the figure turned—just slightly.
She *felt* their gaze.
As if her veins now carried not blood, but *duty*.
The scale’s plates *slammed* down.
Shattered.
Momo awoke in terror—yet resolve.
But the eleven stars still burned behind her eyelids
**"After the Dream"**
**Gathering – The Truth Growing in Silence**
The night still slept.
But they no longer did.
Katsuki was the first to open his eyes.
The last image lingering behind his eyelids—red sneakers, wounded hands, the dark shadow of a tattoo—still burned into his heart.
Like a silhouette etched into his pupils.
He sat up but couldn’t straighten fully.
Just pressed a hand to his forehead.
His ribs ached with every breath, but he knew that pain wasn’t from this world.
The weight of the dream crushed his soul before his lungs.
Then, another stir—
Shoto.
The first light slipping through his lashes was like the blue-tinged flames of the past.
But now, those flames had burned out, leaving only ashes.
Touya’s embrace still echoed on his shoulders.
That child was still there…
Little Shoto, the fragile boy who had reached for his burning brother’s hands.
His lips whispered something:
*"He was burning… but I couldn’t put it out."*
They didn’t look at each other.
But both knew they’d felt the same thing.
Momo sat up slowly, still feeling the weight of the scales from her dream.
The scales of justice.
But their plates were filled with the blood of the past.
That throne…
And the figure’s every step…
Echoed in her heart like a verdict.
Kirishima didn’t rub his eyes awake.
Even after rising, he sat in silence for a long time, head bowed.
The words from his dream had dragged him back years.
Outwardly, everything might have seemed fine—but inside, a cracked hero was slowly crumbling.
Uraraka found herself curled at the edge of her bed, knees to her chest.
Toga’s voice in her dream wasn’t just an echo of the past—it was the embodiment of her own shame and fear.
*"That child…"*
Who was it?
Who did it reflect?
And those stars…
Why did they shine like a burden in her eyes?
For a while, they were all lost within themselves.
In that dark room, silence was louder than words.
Time had stopped like an old clock.
But the pounding in their chests stretched every second into years.
Finally, Katsuki spoke through gritted teeth.
His voice was rough, fractured:
*"Whatever the hell you saw… spit it out."*
Shoto answered first:
*"A throne. And a figure… walking in red sneakers."*
His eyes stayed fixed on the floor.
*"Around it… stars. Eleven of them."*
Momo shook her head faintly.
*"It rose behind the scales of justice. The throne… the figure… and that tattoo."*
Her hands clasped together.
As if she were still holding the scales.
Kirishima, eyes glistening but voice firm:
*"I saw… that everything the Commission told me was a lie."*
*"A child was made into a scapegoat."*
*"And we… just stayed silent."*
Uraraka’s throat burned as she breathed.
*"A woman’s voice… like an echo from my past."*
*"But she spoke with her eyes."*
*"As if… waiting for someone."*
*"A child."*
*"Those stars… each one was heavy to bear."*
Then, another set of footsteps joined the silence.
Denki approached, hair disheveled, eyes clouded with sleeplessness.
*"Hey… why so quiet?"*
But the thick silence had already answered him.
Sero leaned against the wall.
*"I had it too… that dream."*
*"But it felt like… someone else was living it."*
Mina arrived with tears in her eyes, but her smile remained stubborn:
*"Tonight… a lot was said, huh?"*
Her voice trembled.
Tsuyu seemed to have woken earlier.
She’d just been waiting.
As if she’d known something would happen.
Iida scanned everyone with a furrowed brow.
*"We can’t hide it from each other anymore."*
*"Something… is changing."*
Jirou approached like a shadow in the dark.
*"I can’t help it… but everything feels quieter."*
Her eyes were wet.
*"Someone… was watching us."*
And now, they were no longer alone.
They hadn’t just gathered around a table.
They’d united under the same prophecy, the same dream, the same stars.
**Eleven stars…**
Not just a number—an echo of a call.
As the eleven stars gathered around the table, soon they would rise with the ascending throne—unknowing that a **twelfth star** still lingered in the shadows.
A star that had once burned out, waiting to reignite.
And they still didn’t know who it was.
But they knew one thing:
When the night ended…
The day would never be the same again.
---
### **🌑 "The Moment the Strings Are Pulled"**
**The Commission’s Final Move and the Watcher in the Shadows**
The silence echoing around the table was no longer just the aftermath of a dream.
Then—
The security console at the door emitted a sharp beep.
All eyes turned at once.
Iida stood immediately, his gaze sharp.
*"This is an encrypted transmission… tied to the Commission’s network!"*
As the holographic screen flickered, a single line appeared beneath the glowing logo:
> **EMERGENCY REQUEST FOR BACKUP**
> **Code Name: TO BE ERASED**
Momo swallowed.
*"Is this… a threat?"*
Shoto rose, resting his hands on the table.
*"No,"* he said quietly but firmly. *"This… is a final warning."*
The hologram wavered—then a face appeared.
The Commission Vice-President, his eyes sunken, voice hollow.
None of his usual control remained.
> *"To calm the public… we need you."*
> *"Ground Zero, Shoto, Red Riot…"*
> *"Only you can suppress this chaos."*
> *"The people… are on the verge of collapse."*
> *"If you ignore this call…"*
> *"They won’t be able to tell us apart from the traitors of this nation."*
> *"And you… will be added to that list."*
The air in the room vanished.
For a moment, every heart stopped.
Katsuki clenched his teeth, fury barely contained.
*"So… they’re playing their last card to burn us all."*
His gaze fixed on the distance.
*"You want me to save you?"*
*"You’re the ones who tried to kill me."*
*"Now I’m a hero, huh?"*
Kirishima’s fists shook.
*"This isn’t a rescue anymore."*
*"This… was always their execution plan for us."*
He lowered his head.
*"And we… were the silent witnesses to everything they buried."*
Shoto stepped forward, eyes narrowed.
*"If we don’t silence them… they’ll speak."*
*"Our only choice… is to speak first."*
And then—
The dim lights flickered.
As if even this transmission had passed through a shadow.
A whisper, like a breath, rose—
Owned by no one, yet heard by all.
> *"Your move… my pawns."*
---
### **♟️ In the Shadows…**
In an abandoned tower…
The Fallen Hero watched the **twelfth star** through cracked screens.
A figure in red sneakers
appeared briefly on a high wall,
then vanished into the dark.
The Fallen Hero bowed his head,
murmuring as his eyes fixed on the void:
> *"The throne is being set…"*
> *"And the stars follow their order."*
---
### **🎭 The Commission’s Side: The Shadow of a False Victory**
At the same time…
In a meeting room deep within the Commission’s headquarters,
the Chairman leaned back, exhaling deeply.
*"They’ve agreed to join us,"* he said.
*"Ground Zero, Shoto, Red Riot… They’ll all be at the press conference."*
His aide wiped sweat from his brow.
*"The public will calm down. We’ll buy at least a few days."*
The Chairman smirked.
*"These children’s weakness has always been the same."*
*"Faith."*
*"We’ll use it against them."*
None of the graphs on the screens,
none of the returning support messages,
none of them noticed the approaching shadow.
Because their plan *was* working perfectly.
But the true architect wasn’t them.
---
### **"The First Step of the Ascent"**
**The 11 Stars at the Strategy Table**
The room was silent.
But this time, it wasn’t the silence of indecision—
It was the weight of a decision made.
Katsuki sat in a chair, arms crossed.
His head was slightly bowed, but his eyes still burned like fire.
Beside him, Shoto—across from him, Kirishima…
Momo at the table, hands tightly clasped,
Uraraka at her side,
Iida waiting solemnly in the corner,
Denki and Sero leaning against the walls,
Jirou seated, Mina perched on her chair’s armrest,
Tsuyu standing firm near the table—
Eleven heroes, eyes locked, now committed to the same war.
They had all lived different pasts, carried different pains.
But now, they looked at the same sky.
Momo’s gaze fixed on the old Commission documents spread across the table.
*"If we breach their archives, we won’t just reclaim information… we’ll reclaim the public’s lost trust."*
*"This isn’t a purge. It’s a reminder—to those who made us forget who we are."*
Shoto was calm. But beneath it was a frozen, smoldering resolve.
*"We won’t do it with a single scream, but with a single show."*
*"We must prove to the people that some still fight for the truth."*
Kirishima clenched his fists, leaning forward.
*"And for that… we’ll turn the Commission’s own weapon against them:"*
*"The media."*
Uraraka exhaled softly.
*"The press conference."*
*"They want to parade us—'Look, we still control them.'"*
*"We’ll… flip the script."*
Katsuki spoke without lifting his gaze.
*"I’ll go. Give me the mic."*
His words were short. Devastating.
A beat of silence.
Then Denki whispered, slow but clear:
*"And us? What do we do?"*
Jirou lifted her head.
*"The rest of us… infiltrate the Commission’s data center."*
*"We’ll record everything—give the people proof, not just words."*
Mina’s eyes glittered.
*"What if we fail?"*
Her voice trembled—not from fear, but loyalty.
Iida raised a hand.
*"Failure is no longer an option."*
*"Because this isn’t the march of one… but of eleven stars."*
In that moment, a spark ignited in the dark room.
Their eyes met.
An unspoken oath passed between them.
Then Ground Zero reached into his pocket—
and placed an old, battered **All Might badge** on the table.
*"This… didn’t belong to a savior,"* he said.
*"It belonged to someone who couldn’t end a war."*
*"But we… will close that book."*
**🎭 The Commission's Side: Shadow of a False Victory**
At the same time...
In a conference room deep within the Commission's main headquarters—walls adorned with old certificates of achievement—the Chairman leaned back with a deep sigh.
*"They've agreed to participate,"* he said.
*"Ground Zero, Shoto, Red Riot... They'll all be at the press conference."*
His aide wiped sweat from his brow.
*"The public will calm down. At the very least, we've bought ourselves a few days."*
The Chairman smirked.
*"These kids' weakness has always been the same.*
*Faith.*
*We'll use their faith against them."*
Not the flashing graphs on the screens,
nor the flood of returning support messages,
none of them noticed the shadow creeping toward them.
Because while their plans were unfolding perfectly...
The true architect of this game wasn't them.
---
**♟️ In the Shadows...**
In a derelict tower...
Amid the flickering glow of broken monitors, the Fallen Hero
watched the **Twelfth Star**.
A figure in red sneakers
materialized atop a distant wall—
visible for just a breath before dissolving into darkness.
The Fallen Hero bowed his head,
whispering into the void:
> *"The throne is being prepared..."*
> *"And the stars are falling into line."*
---
Chapter 34: The Rebellion of Burning Stars & Throne of Ashes
Summary:
The fairy tales we believed as children are now devouring us....🏚️
Chapter Text
**"When the Stars Begin to Shine – Part I: The Press Conference"**
The lights exploded.
A room full of camera flashes… yet no one flinched.
Ground Zero’s eyes had long been narrowed in battle, Shoto Todoroki’s remained icy even when they burned, and Kirishima Eijirou stood unshaken—an unbreakable rock, though his face still bore the exhaustion of the night.
The three of them, Japan’s highest-ranking active heroes, stood at the podium in the center of the wide, glass-enclosed hall.
A trio of stars, thrust onto the stage by the Commission for their own gain—
Gazed upon by the public with hope… and fear.
But everyone had forgotten one thing: Stars burned on stage too… and when they exploded, they burned even brighter.
The press waited like predators poised to strike.
When the first question came, the voice crackled through the microphones:
> **"Ground Zero, the public is demanding a clear statement regarding the policies the Commission has enforced for years. What do you have to say about the leaked documents suggesting hero rankings have been manipulated?"**
Katsuki leaned toward the mic without removing his hands from his pockets.
His eyes locked onto the Commission President standing directly across from him.
He spoke to the press over his shoulder:
> **"Rankings?"**
His lips curled into a sneer.
**"Now we’re getting to the good part."**
As murmurs swelled through the room, Shoto stepped forward.
His voice was calm, cold as ice:
> **"Rankings… and 'control.' Those two go hand in hand.**
**Just like a father and the system he built."**
The President’s eyes narrowed. Shoto didn’t look away.
Kirishima lightly tapped his fist against the podium.
He leaned into the mic:
> **"You turned heroes into numbers, using the public’s trust.**
**Some of us… realized too late how that system was breaking us—even as we defended it."**
The President leaned forward, smiling.
He was about to launch into his usual rehearsed speech, the one meant to calm the masses.
But Katsuki raised a hand. Silence fell.
Katsuki’s voice was like a detonation:
> **"You have more questions than answers, don’t you?**
**But we’re not the first to ask them.**
**And trust me—we won’t be the last to answer, either."**
At that exact moment, the screens in the room flickered, delayed footage from a newly released broadcast appearing.
A sleek black mask, golden lines reminiscent of All Might’s costume…
And a figure emerging from the shadows, whispering secrets in a way that eerily echoed the Todoroki scandal from years ago.
The crowd erupted into chaos.
Was this another Todoroki incident?
Or…
…the first painful birth pangs of a new peace?
Shoto took a step forward.
His eyes were fixed on the screens, but his words were for the President, not the press:
> **"You can’t smother lies with fire.**
**I’m sorry, Mr. President…**
**but this stage is ours now."**
Kirishima took the mic, his voice steady:
> **"Children died in this country because we believed the lie of a 'greater purpose.'**
**But no one will stay silent anymore."**
Katsuki’s hands burned.
Not in battle this time—
But for the truth.
Outside, the streets were flooding.
People gathered around the Commission building.
One group chanted, **"NEW SYSTEM!"**
Another whispered just one word:
**"Justice."**
As Katsuki, Shoto, and Kirishima finished and stepped away from the podium, the screen behind them glitched once more.
A distorted voice echoed from the unseen figure:
> **"Stars born in the shadow of truth…**
**They will carry the brightest light.**
**But before that light ignites…**
**it will burn us all."**
The Commission President averted his eyes.
The three heroes left the room.
But those three stars…
They had returned to burn.
---
**"When the Stars Begin to Shine – Part II: Within the Shadows"**
The night had not yet faded.
But the stars had shifted.
While the spectacle of the press conference unfolded, in a distant, hidden corridor buried beneath the hero headquarters—the Commission Archives—silence echoed.
Only breaths…
Footsteps…
And the thunder of their own hearts.
Momo Yaoyorozu led the way.
Her fingers worked swiftly, bypassing the fingerprint scanner with a small device, teeth gritted. Behind her, Iida scanned the surroundings like a sentinel. Tsuyu and Jirou strained their ears, catching even the faintest sounds.
Denki lifted an electromagnetic scanner, whispering:
> **"Red line five meters ahead. Data room’s past the camera."**
Mina muttered under her breath as she moved:
> **"This time, we’re not just dancing… We’re stealing the truth."**
The corridor felt like a passage through time itself.
As if its walls held the screams of silenced heroes, of suppressed confessions.
And then—
They reached the door.
Momo knelt, interfacing with the panel.
Her hands didn’t shake.
But her eyes…
Carried the weight of stolen freedom.
> **"We have three minutes.**
**The media’s still fixated on Katsuki, Shoto, and Kirishima.**
**Behind these screens—proof. Records. Evidence."**
Jirou pressed her ear jacks to the wall.
> **"We’re clear. No one hears us."**
When the door opened—
A cold, tomb-like silence greeted them.
---
Inside, thousands of digital records, holograms, names, dates, cover-ups.
Tsuyu whispered the first file name glowing on the wall:
> **"Midoriya."**
Iida stiffened. Mina closed her eyes.
Momo reached past it.
> **"Not yet. First, we take the proof buried in the system."**
---
Seconds bled into minutes.
Each file exposed how the Commission used young heroes, buried deaths, manipulated the public.
Then, Jirou opened one—
A recording played:
> **"Project 'Symbol.' Midoriya file: All Might’s biological son, undisclosed to the public. To prevent panic, the connection was erased years ago by the Commission."**
Silence.
Iida’s fists trembled. Tsuyu fought back tears. Mina exhaled—her throat tight.
Denki whispered:
> **"The Symbol of Peace, reduced to a child… Then, when he died, turned into a legend."**
Sero sank to his knees.
> **"This country doesn’t need 'symbols' anymore… It needs the truth."**
Then, a beep.
The data transfer was complete.
While the press conference raged on—
These stars, moving through shadows, had torn the darkness from within.
As Jirou turned back, she saw the Commission’s glowing emblem on-screen.
She whispered:
> **"That symbol will fall.**
**Because now…**
**we are eleven stars."**
---
Time crawled.
In a dim, abandoned building across from Commission HQ, eleven heroes gathered around a table.
Stars forged in war, loss, and dreams.
Their eyes gleamed even in the dark.
Something had shifted—they were no longer just heroes struggling to survive.
Now, they were the ones who would tear down the old world.
Katsuki spoke first, his voice sharp:
**"No turning back now. Either we break them… or we’re erased from history."**
Shoto’s voice was icy certainty:
**"We fight them with their own weapons. The public’s trust is our shield."**
Momo projected stolen files onto the table. Iida scanned them.
**"With this, we can drag them to justice. But we must move carefully—they’re watching."**
Jirou whispered:
**"When our voice is heard, it won’t be a rebellion… It’ll be an awakening."**
Uraraka closed her eyes, remembering Toga’s dream:
**"Justice isn’t just speaking the truth… It’s making sure the world hears it."**
Kirishima slammed his fist down.
**"We’ll show them who we are. Unbreakable stars."**
Denki smirked, but his eyes were serious.
**"They can’t stop me before I overload. This time, we control the current."**
Mina leaned in, voice clear:
**"We won’t create chaos—we’ll create hope. Not fear, but courage."**
Sero slid forward a file.
**"Their security has gaps. If we leak during the press storm, their attention will split."**
Tsuyu spoke softly but firmly:
**"The right time is now. Wait longer, and more people suffer."**
Jirou, silent until now, placed her guitar-shaped device on the table.
**"This isn’t an ending. It’s a prelude. The real song hasn’t even started."**
Katsuki stood. His eyes burned.
**"Ground Zero, Shoto, and Red Riot take the stage. But this time… we won’t be the main act.**
**Behind the scenes, justice prepares for its debut."**
And in that moment, the silence around the table felt like the old days—
When stars first aligned.
Eleven rising stars, now in perfect sync.
And one whispered:
**"The ones who’ll tear apart this sky of lies… are right here."**
The plan was set.
The reckoning had come.
---
**"Masks Shatter"**
The press conference’s echoes began before the cameras even cut.
Social media erupted. Millions held their breaths, replaying Shoto’s silence, Kirishima’s raw plea for **"justice,"** and most of all—Katsuki Bakugou’s words, his eyes narrowed as he said:
> **"You don’t know what the Commission’s been hiding… but you’re about to find out.**
**This time, we won’t swallow it. This time, there’s no lie left to swallow."**
The public reeled.
Streets, buildings, screens—everything seemed to warp at once.
*"What has the Commission silenced?"*
*"What was Ground Zero implying?"*
*"Shoto’s stare… it screamed 'enough.'"*
*"Why did Red Riot say 'justice' and then go quiet?"*
Barricades rose overnight.
Hope and fear swapped places.
And the Commission’s mask began to crack
Commission Headquarters / Midnight"**
The Commission President paced wildly in his vast office.
No—he wasn’t pacing.
He was circling like a caged beast.
His fingers twitched as if carving invisible lines into the glass coffee table with every step.
Sweat, thick with fury, dripped from his wrists, staining his collar.
> **"Damn you, Bakugou Katsuki… That explosive little brat!"**
**"Shoto… The boy who exposed his own father!"**
**"And Kirishima… Even that rock-headed fool, the so-called 'paragon of loyalty'—!"**
His palms slammed onto the desk.
**CRACK.**
Files, pens, blueprints—all swallowed by chaos.
> **"They can’t do this,"** he muttered to himself.
But the tremor in his voice betrayed the lie he was trying to believe.
Just then, one of the office’s digital screens flickered.
A shadow of a broadcast—distorted voices, a blurred silhouette.
And then…
The Fallen Hero emerged from the static, speaking once more:
> **"You’re watching, aren’t you, President?"**
**"The strings aren’t in your hands anymore… Your old 'puppets' are cutting their own threads now."**
The President punched the screen.
But the image remained.
The Fallen Hero smiled.
> **"The Symbol of Peace’s son may be buried… but his whispers still live."**
**"And you… You’re just racing against time now."**
The screen went black.
The President tore off his suit jacket, hurling it to the floor.
A single whisper escaped him:
> **"I’ll destroy… every last one of them."**
---
### **"The One Who Sits Upon the Throne of Shadows"**
The night draped over the city like a suffocating blanket.
Darkness wasn’t just the absence of light—it was the silence smothering the truth.
The streets roared with cries, carving the remnants of a once-beloved lie—**"hope"**—into the stones beneath their feet.
Panic, rage, and disbelief tangled together.
**"You lied to us!"**
**"We want the truth!"**
**"Heroes? What heroes?!"**
Banners weren’t in hands anymore—they were etched into hearts.
The child they called the **"Symbol of Peace"**—dead eight years ago—was now exposed as a buried legacy, a silenced fate.
And now… no one believed as they once did.
Because the truth weighed as heavy as blood.
---
### **"Transition: The Watchtower – Beneath a Fallen Sky"**
A dust-choked tower, hidden even from the city’s silhouette.
Tall. Silent.
Not forgotten—**concealed.**
And at its heart:
A throne carved from stone, shaped like a curse.
The one who sat upon it did not speak.
They **whispered.**
And their whispers fell like prophecies from the sky.
Their left arm, wrapped in bandages from the elbow down.
The wounds peeking through the loosened gauze weren’t a child’s scars—they were the cracks of a revolution.
Their right arm…
From palm to shoulder, coiled in the ink of a pitch-black serpent.
A tattoo not of skin, but of fate.
Slithering. Whispering.
**"Poison can be justice too."**
On their feet—red sneakers.
Worn. Torn. Stained.
Yet still glowing like the bloody legacy of a stolen childhood.
Their eyes—even in the dark, unmistakable.
Emerald poison.
Burning silently.
Before them, a chessboard.
Pieces not placed at random—but aligned with the shadow of a plan.
Their fingers slowly turned the **black king,** as if snapping time’s neck.
Their lips moved without sound.
Whispers.
They played like a child.
But this child was now a grown storm.
---
### **"Beside Them: Three Figures – The Warped Echoes of a Dark Past"**
**Touya Todoroki** exhaled in irritation, staring out the window.
His gaze was distant—like a ghost still trapped in his own hell.
> **"This kid’s madness is giving me a headache,"** he muttered.
**"Someone teach him to shut up. His whispers are unraveling my brain."**
**Shigaraki** held a broken mask, crumbling its fragments between his fingers.
He smirked.
> **"Madness? Maybe. Or maybe he’s just steps ahead of us. He knows exactly what he’s doing."**
**Himiko Toga** played with a bloodied ribbon at the edge of the shadows.
A giggle slipped out.
> **"He plays like a child… but he’s never lost a game of chess."**
The **Fallen Hero** stood by the window, watching the city.
As if gazing not from the sky—but from the edge of hell itself.
Their voice flowed softly:
> **"While they scramble to save their king…"**
**"We’ve already finished the game."**
**"This is the revenge of those who failed to bury the past."**
The one on the throne lifted their head.
> **"A few moves left,"** they whispered.
**"Check… then mate."**
A thin trail of blood dripped from their nose.
But they only smiled.
For them, bleeding was the first sign of victory.
Toga grinned.
> **"There it is… His nose always bleeds when the plan’s almost done. Ah, blood suits you so well, you know?"**
But the one on the throne wasn’t listening.
Their eyes were fixed on the chessboard.
They moved a single piece.
Just one.
And murmured:
> **"Eleven stars will shine."**
**"And stars… burn brightest when they fall."**
**"Shadows can’t smother the light anymore."**
**"Because the light has gone as mad as the dark."**
Behind them…
Four pairs of eyes watched this silent madness.
With curiosity. With fear.
But the one on the throne barely acknowledged them.
They moved another piece.
Then lifted their head.
And with the smile of a child gazing at their favorite toy…
They looked at the **king.**
> **"Checkmate approaches…"**
**"And the stars… will blaze one by one."**
---
### **"Plans Beneath a Burning Sky"**
Dawn had not yet broken.
Outside, everything was gray—like hesitation given form.
But inside…
Within the thick walls of a forgotten shelter, they stood.
A dusty map lay spread across a table.
Around it—**eleven stars.**
**Shoto** spoke without lifting his eyes from the map:
> **"They’ll declare us either heroes… or traitors."**
**"There’s no middle ground left."**
**Katsuki** crossed his arms, fury simmering beneath his skin.
The corner of his lip twitched.
> **"If they’re gonna call me a traitor…"**
**"Which camera do I yell at first?"**
**Uraraka** clasped her trembling hands together.
Her voice was barely a whisper:
> **"The people… still want a savior."**
**"But maybe… this time, salvation isn’t in their hands."**
**Kirishima’s** fists were clenched.
He looked ready to punch through a wall—but held back.
> **"They need to trust us."**
**"We didn’t build this system… but we’ll fix it."**
**Momo** sifted through the documents—internal Commission memos, suspicious transactions, covered-up missions.
> **"If we want to prove society’s been controlled…"**
**"We need the memory-erasure operation files."**
**"But not just that…"**
**"We also expose what happened to the missing heroes."**
**Jirou** spoke without looking up.
Her voice echoed like loneliness given sound:
> **"All these years playing the hero’s anthem…"**
**"While the background was filled with pain, death, and loss."**
**"It’s time to silence that song."**
**Denki** blinked, the stars from his dreams still lingering in his mind.
But in a way… those stars were standing right in front of him now.
> **"The game’s over."**
**"And we’re the ones setting up the new board."**
**Sero** pulled up a digital map on his arm.
It showed the hidden tunnels beneath U.A., connecting to the Commission building’s ventilation system.
> **"We’ve found the weak points."**
**"The archive building’s only guarded by two people at 3 AM."**
**Iida’s** eyes burned with familiar resolve.
No longer a class rep—now a leader of rebellion.
> **"We strike on two fronts at once:"**
**"Three of us—me, Katsuki, and Shoto—will handle the press."**
**"The rest of you… move to claim the truth
First Light on the Surface"**
The plan unfolded with chilling precision.
Shoto had made contact with the Commission, confirming their attendance at the press conference.
The Commission, desperate to salvage its crumbling credibility, **needed** these three stars to stand beside them.
And that need… had bound their hands.
They thought themselves clever.
But the **eleven stars** circling the throne had already seen the king.
---
The Commission President paced his office in fury.
His fist struck the desk again.
> **"These brats…"**
**"They came back just to humiliate me!"**
One of his advisors answered in a trembling voice:
> **"But the people…"**
**"They trust them."**
**"If we just show solidarity—even for a few days—"**
The President’s glare cut the sentence short.
His eyes narrowed.
> **"If I have to… I’ll silence them too."**
But the ones he sought to silence… were no longer alone.
Because the **burning throne** from their dreams—
Was now becoming reality.
Chapter 35: Shattered Stars– The Betrayal's Gambit
Summary:
As the stars fell, we remembered the knives in our backs—
the deepest wounds are always dealt by the closest hands 🗡️⛓️💥☠️
We were eleven stars— 🍷🐍
one a lie, one a traitor, nine shattered mirrors..."
Chapter Text
**Chapter: "Riddles Written in Ashes – The Fourth in the Shadows"**
In a dusty, ruined tower.
Within the symbols carved into the stone walls of an ancient temple hidden underground...
The Fallen Hero watched.
He stood before a window, surrounded by blue-black shadows leaning against the walls.
In his hands was a rope woven from snake skins. He twisted it between his fingers.
Every movement was sly, every glance a fusion of intellect and venom.
Touya, sprawled across a stone step with his legs stretched out, laughed loudly.
> *"Still playing games."*
*"Your stars are rising, but they’re still afraid of their own shadows."*
Shigaraki leaned against the wall. His eyes wandered through a dark void, fingers twitching restlessly.
He was like an impatient child.
The Fallen Hero spoke without turning to look at them:
> *"I gave them everything.*
*Doors... prophecies... dreams...*
*Yet they still ask:*
*‘Is this the right path?’*
*When will they realize... which of us is the right one?"*
Suddenly, a ceiling stone shifted above.
A faint beam of light filtered in.
And from within that light came the sound of wings.
A few red feathers drifted to the ground.
As the shadows retreated, they saw that silhouette:
> *Hawks.*
The throne room was silent.
A former hero.
But the light in his eyes remained the same.
The old scar on his chin looked faded, yet his words were sharp.
> *"The red bird... has returned,"* Touya mocked, humming an old song under his breath:
*"I wrote your name in the stars,*
*If the red bird returns,*
*It will tell you what’s real, what’s a lie..."*
*"And now... it’s time to separate truth from lies."*
A bitter smile formed on Hawks’ lips as he spoke:
*"Every silenced wing*
*Will one day tear through the sky."*
Then, silence.
Only the soft clatter of chess pieces on the board echoed in the throne room.
And the throne’s owner, smiling like a child.
The serpent tattoo coiled around his left arm gleamed in the light.
His red shoes looked as innocent as a child’s, but his eyes...
Emerald-green, yet filled with poison.
Before him, the chessboard stood with pieces in place.
Each one a story of war, each one the name of a betrayal.
Touya emerged from a dark corner.
He smirked slightly, bowing his head.
> *"The wind is changing... the birds are silent.*
*And you still love playing games."*
Hawks stepped forward behind him.
But this time, his eyes held not the shadows of the past—only clarity.
> *"You didn’t burn me, Touya.*
*But this throne... was built to burn someone else."*
And at that very moment—
A voice cut through the shadows.
Sharp, deep, mocking.
> *"Burn, you say?"*
*"No... this is merely purification."*
The Fallen Hero stepped forward from the darkness with heavy footsteps.
Still clad in the tattered remains of his old costume.
A shattered hero’s medal hung from his chest.
His eyes carried the weight of years of betrayal.
And on his lips...
a dangerous delight.
> *"I told you."*
*"There is rot within you.*
*The Commission, society, ‘justice’...*
*Each has sanctified its own lies."*
The throne’s owner let out a childlike laugh.
The serpent slithered up his arm, rearing its head.
And in that moment... another riddle whispered:
> *"The answer to everything begins where the victim smiles."*
The Fallen Hero picked up a piece from the board—the bishop.
He held it in his hand for a moment, then set it down.
He raised a single eyebrow, his voice ringing with mocking amusement:
> *"Eleven stars, huh?*
*What a sweet little tale they tell themselves."*
*"But they forget one thing...*
*Every star casts a shadow.*
*And beneath every shadow... a serpent slithers."*
He reached out, fingers closing around a piece on the board.
He pushed the pawn in front of the king forward.
The pieces seemed to stir.
> *"But let’s see, my stars…*
*How many moves until checkmate?"*
> *"I no longer play games."*
*"But watching yours?*
*Delicious."*
Touya chuckled lightly as he turned to Hawks.
> *"You know, this guy...*
*He seems insane, but sometimes...*
*He’s the one who speaks the truth."*
The Fallen Hero took another step toward the throne’s owner.
But he stopped short of kneeling.
His eyes fixed on the owner’s hands—covered in scars.
> *"That throne crushed thousands before you."*
*"But for the first time... someone sits on it with such delight."*
Shigaraki, silent in the corner, leaned against the wall.
But his eyes never left the throne’s owner.
> *"There is no king,"* he said.
*"Only... orders echoing in the void."*
The throne’s owner picked up another piece.
The king.
He placed it at the center of the board.
> *"Checkmate…*
*In just a few moves.*
*And with... you."*
And in that moment, another whisper rose from behind the throne.
Like a prophecy,
Like a final curtain:
> *"As eleven stars rise,*
*True faces emerge from the mud.*
*And no one...*
*No one is sacred."*
Hawks dropped a file onto the table.
Dusty cover, stamped with the Commission’s seal.
But its contents... were horrifying.
Memory-erasure operations.
Missing families.
Innocents taken from their homes to raise "heroes."
And the worst of all—
> *"Project Star."*
Touya’s eyes narrowed.
> *"Star?"*
Hawks nodded.
> *"The Commission... tried to replicate the prophecy they saw in their dreams.*
*Eleven ‘clean-slated,’ ‘high-potential’ children...*
*Trained. Transformed.*
*But one of them never obeyed."*
The Fallen Hero threw his head back and laughed.
But this laughter wasn’t just mockery—it was triumphant.
> *"They tried to copy me?"*
*"How adorable."*
Shigaraki looked at the boy.
> *"So you...*
*Planned this from the beginning."*
The answer came in a whisper.
The serpent coiled around his arm, resting on his hand.
And the boy’s eyes—emerald-green, gleaming like poison—turned back to the chessboard.
> *"Eleven stars rise.*
*But the sky is not yet mine."*
*"Give them a little more time.*
*Then... we’ll watch together as they fall."*
In the cold darkness of the throne room, the young figure still sat.
His hands covered in wounds, one arm wrapped in bandages, the other adorned with a venomous green serpent tattoo.
Blood trickled slowly from his nose, blending into his mad smile, his emerald eyes fixed on the chessboard as if controlling not just the pieces—but the entire world.
As he sat before the game board, a quiet voice echoed.
Riddles whispered, clues drifting in the dark.
*"Every piece, a fate...*
*Every move, a secret..."*
He lifted his gaze, his black-emerald eyes scanning the room as if searching for an invisible opponent.
Then, his fingers brushed lightly over the board as he made his move.
*"This game isn’t over.*
*It’s only just begun..."*
And in that moment, the serpent on his arm shifted slightly, as if encouraging him.
The light in his eyes burned brighter—a plan already taking shape.
As the gears of the world turned silently, the boy sat on his throne, preparing the next act of the chaos, betrayal, and hope he had set in motion.
Within him lay both darkness and light.
For the true game was not played on the board—but in hearts and minds.
In the flickering shadows of dim light, the throne’s owner sat silently. The old bandages wrapping his wounded arm and the serpent tattoo coiled over it writhed on the thin line between darkness and light. His emerald-green eyes shimmered in the depths of the unknown, while the figures gathered around him seemed born from the shadows: Touya, Hawks, the Fallen Hero, Shigaraki, and Himiko Toga. Each spoke in whispers woven with secrets—words like riddles, meanings hidden behind labyrinths.
Hawks, fingers tracing thin papers, lowered his voice as if recounting an ancient tale:
*"The knots tighten in the Commission’s web. Hidden truths slowly tear through the veil of darkness. Project Star is just the beginning… This game itself is a stage where shadows dance."*
The throne’s owner, watching the serpent’s coils on his wounded arm, took a deep breath. His voice spread through the room like a faint breeze:
*"Every piece walks its own fate. But there is one piece that will shatter the heart of the board. Not the end of the game—only the curtain rising."*
Touya, his words echoing like an old legend:
*"Ladders climbed in red shoes… Shattered memories, eleven stars rising in the shadow of lost time. But true enlightenment lies hidden behind the stars."*
The Fallen Hero, with a mocking laugh, spoke—his voice echoing off the cold walls:
*"We are the shadows themselves. Unseen hands; the enigmatic secrets whispered by the wind. He is the silent dancer of light and darkness. Before judging him, we must face our own darkness."*
Shigaraki whispered coldly and sharply:
*"The throne’s owner is not just a figure. He is the silent scream of broken chains, the name of hope echoing in the dark."*
Toga let out a light laugh, cutting in:
*"And we are the shattered pieces of this riddle. If the right moves are made, a dark legend is written—each line in blood and secrets."*
The throne’s owner slowly turned his emerald eyes to them and whispered:
*"Be ready. For in this game, there is no room for losers. The next act will reveal hidden truths, forgotten names, and tainted souls."*
At that moment, the wind howled faintly through the room, wrapping around them like the echo of an ancient riddle. In the silence of the night, that whisper was the herald of futures both dark and bright.
And so, the pieces on the chessboard had already moved—the curtain had risen...
---
In a dim room, eleven heroes gathered around maps and screens.
Katsuki clenched his fists, his determined gaze leading the way:
**Katsuki:**
*"We’ve come this far—now it’s time to finish this. The Commission’s security systems aren’t anything to fear, but they’re not impossible either. Denki, how are they protecting themselves technically?"*
Denki, eyes gleaming as he scanned the screens:
**Denki:**
*"The electronic security networks are complex, but there are a few weak points. Especially between the 3rd and 7th floors—they’re using outdated systems. If we breach those, we can disable most of the cameras and sensors."*
Shoto, calm and precise:
**Shoto:**
*"But the physical security is tight. Patrol robots in the halls, motion sensors… Katsuki and Kirishima, you’ll take point. Clear the obstacles and open the path."*
Kirishima nodded, brimming with strength and courage:
**Kirishima:**
*"No problem. We’ll smash through walls if we have to."*
Uraraka smiled slightly as she spoke:
**Uraraka:**
*"We’ll back you up. If you need us, we’ll be there in a flash with gravity assist."*
Momo laid out the details:
**Momo:**
*"I’ll handle intel-gathering inside and copying the files. I’ll access the Commission’s most classified archives. But it’s a trap zone—we’ll need to be careful."*
Jirou adjusted her headphones:
**Jirou:**
*"I’ve got comms and sound coordination. I brought devices to disrupt their patrol bots and alarms."*
Denki added:
**Denki:**
*"And if things go south, I can fry their systems with a surge."*
Katsuki’s eyes swept over them:
**Katsuki:**
*"This isn’t just an operation. It’s proof that we’re right. The Commission’s filth will be exposed. But don’t forget—there could be traps at any moment."*
Shoto made one last emphasis:
**Shoto:**
*"We’re in this together. No matter what happens, we stand united. Tonight, we end not just the Commission—but the lies and betrayals."*
---
In the cold, silent atmosphere of the dark tunnels, the eleven heroes moved as one. Each focused on their role, breaths held, as they infiltrated the Commission’s most secret archives. The documents, records, classified files—all were in their hands. A few more steps, and victory was within reach.
Katsuki led, steps firm, guarding their path.
Shoto analyzed the obstacles ahead, planning the next move.
Kirishima kept morale high in the rear.
Beside them—Uraraka, Momo, Mina, Sero, Denki, Iida, Tsuyu, and Jirou—all believed. This was the final step. The Commission’s lies, its hidden schemes, would finally be exposed. Justice would be served.
*"Almost there!"*
Denki whispered:
*"It’s all here. Just a few more minutes..."*
Mina smiled faintly:
*"We can do this together. Just a little more patience."*
The same hope, the same determination, burned in every hero’s eyes.
**And Then—**
At the end of the hall, a cold metallic *click* echoed.
Suddenly, all doors slammed shut.
Alarms blared.
Screens flashed red.
All external comms were cut.
Security systems activated.
Everyone froze in shock.
Katsuki barked:
*"What the hell’s happening?!"*
And in that moment—Aoyama’s face twisted with regret and fear.
There was no escape.
They had fallen into the Commission’s trap.
**"BETRAYAL..."**
Uraraka trembled:
*"He... he sold us out!"*
Jirou bit her lip, eyes welling up. Mina was on the verge of screaming. Kirishima clenched his fists in rage, but he refused to panic.
*"He was one of us."*
Shoto's voice cut like ice. His gaze locked onto Aoyama. The others noticed it too.
*"How...?"* Iida couldn't believe it.
Denki, helpless:
*"He betrayed us."*
### The Fallen Hero’s Mocking Voice Echoed Through the Halls
*"Rejoice, heroes. You think the game is over, don’t you? No—it’s only just begun."*
Those words seeped like ice into the heroes' hearts.
---
Katsuki roared in fury:
*"If you think this is over, you’re wrong! We’re still standing!"*
But the shock in their hearts was triggering an uncontrollable panic.
Each of them felt just how deep the betrayal ran—how much it hurt. Because it wasn’t just their plan collapsing. It was their trust in each other shattering. This wasn’t just the failure of an operation. It was their souls being torn apart.
With the doors sealed tight and comms silenced, they were trapped in a helplessness they’d never felt before. The guilt on Aoyama’s face triggered a silent judgment among them, wounding their hearts even more.
### The Heroes’ Downfall and the Fragments of Hope
The suffocating silence in the room carried the weight of broken dreams, filled only with shaky breaths. The void left by betrayal hung over the heroes like a crushing burden. Their eyes searched for each other—seeking support—but everyone was fighting their own battle inside.
Katsuki gritted his teeth, waiting in silence, while Mina slowly lifted her head and looked around. Everyone was struggling to suppress their fear and rage.
### The Door Creaked Open with a Heavy, Sharp Sound
A cold, dark air flooded the room.
The Commission President stepped forward, his footsteps slow and deliberate. His eyes were icy, his lips curled in a mocking smile. The aura he exuded was like a darkness made of a thousand shadows pressing down on them.
The President clasped his hands behind his back, relishing the tension around him.
*"You got too carried away, my dear heroes. Did I not tell you how easily I could take everything from you? Your escape before was just luck,"* he said, his voice heavy with challenge.
*"Was betrayal too hard to handle? I told you—this is my domain. And in this game, my rules are absolute."*
Katsuki narrowed his eyes and shot back:
*"A game? We’re still here. And we’re ending it."*
The President tilted his head slightly, smiling as if bored:
*"Ah, my dear heroes, what lovely dreams you weave. No matter how much you resist, I’ve been running this game for a long time."*
Shoto’s voice rang out with trembling resolve:
*"This time, you’ll lose."*
The President’s gaze flickered, his expression turning sharp:
*"Lose? I am the victor. Your hopes are as fragile as glass. No matter how hard you struggle, they’ll shatter in the end."*
As his words echoed through the room, an unseen presence breathed silently from the depths of the darkness. No one noticed it. No one saw it. But the shadows were watching.
Kirishima rubbed his hands together. Uraraka took a deep breath. Each of them fought to suppress their fear and fury. The bond between them was stronger now—because before them loomed an even greater darkness.
The President stepped closer, lowering his voice to a whisper:
*"But remember... the real battles haven’t even begun. And I... always win."*
The room fell silent again. But the shadows still moved, waiting for their next move.
### The Poisonous Mist
Suddenly, a thick, toxic fog rose, filling every corner of the room. Breathing became difficult. Eyes began to droop. The mist coiled around them like venom, dragging them toward exhaustion, sleep, and the edge of oblivion.
The Commission President watched with delight as he slowly walked to the center of the room, hands still behind his back.
*"Ah, heroes..."* he said, his voice cold and mocking. *"You’ve lost your strength. Not to chains—but to sleep. No matter how much you resist, you will surrender in the end."*
Laughter echoed through the mist—a curse descending upon their defiant spirits.
One by one, the heroes’ eyes closed. Their bodies, once fighting with courage, succumbed to slumber. Only the faint, trembling breaths of their struggling souls remained in the silent room.
The Commission President walked through the darkness, shadows swirling around him as if he held the future in his hands. To him, this wasn’t just victory—it was the beginning of a new game.
*"Prepare yourselves, heroes,"* he murmured. *"Because the real test starts now."*
Chapter 36: One of its stars is about to fall
Summary:
We always lose one more....
Look...
*another star fades in the sky.
And this time
none of us
will catch it."
❄️🔥⛓️💥🩸
Chapter Text
The Game Master's Throne" – Episode**
A shadow cast upon another shadow.
The throne room at the summit was illuminated by cold emerald eyes, gleaming in a starless night.
The child was rearranging the chess pieces with small hands.
An old scar marked his thumb, and the serpent tattoo coiled from his wrist to his elbow seemed to writhe as though alive.
The serpent’s eyes were emerald too.
The same color as the child’s, the same danger, the same silence…
Behind him stood three shadows. **Touya**—flames extinguished but still burning within. **Hawks**—like an angel who had lost his wings.
**Shigaraki**—one who destroyed not with his hands, but now with his gaze.
And... **Himiko Toga**. A woman driven mad not by blood, but by silence.
All of them were watching the one who sat upon the throne.
As if he were not a child, but someone born beneath the stars—one who wrote fate with words.
Without lifting his eyes from the chessboard, the child whispered:
> *"I knew they would capture them. Because they always wanted to be caught."*
A smile, not quite a laugh, curled at the edges of his lips.
Touya took a step forward.
> *"Did you... plan all of this?"*
The child shrugged, then slowly drew a card from his pocket.
An old, grimy hero card. The silhouette of All Might.
He burned it between his fingers.
> *"Heroism... is no longer a rule of the game. I write the rules now, remember?"*
Then, he turned to Hawks, kneeling on the ground.
A trickle of blood ran from his nose, but he didn’t even notice.
> *"Go. Help them. But don’t forget... 'If the red bird returns, the prophecy is complete.'"*
Hawks nodded. His eyes held a shattered past, struggling to rise from the ruins.
Shigaraki stepped forward.
His hands were clasped behind his back.
His face was expressionless, but his eyes... glimmered. Not with hatred, but admiration.
> *"What you’ve planned... we only see a fragment of it. But your eyes... see from somewhere else."*
The child smiled.
Then, slowly, he lifted his gaze.
To an ancient symbol etched upon the ceiling:
The Tree of Life.
Half-rotted, half-glowing... with a serpent coiled around its roots.
And then, without looking at anyone, he murmured:
> *"When swords go silent... words begin. When words end... the prophecy whispers. And the whisper burns the stars."*
At that moment, a light flared from the void behind the throne.
The Fallen Hero’s eyes flashed crimson for an instant.
He was watching them from the shadows—the eleven captured stars.
The child closed his eyes and spoke, in a tone the Fallen Hero could not hear:
> *"The time has come. My thieves are setting out. I am merely... watching the pieces move."*
Then he turned to Hawks and Touya.
> *"Salvation lies in their wings. But... remember. The king... is not yet in checkmate."*
---
**"The Serpent of Time and the Voices Lost in Chess" – Episode**
The throne’s owner slowly raised his head.
The serpent—that black emerald-eyed creature—was coiled around his arm.
Like the past, like pain, like an inescapable fate...
His focus returned to the chessboard before him.
He picked up a small white piece, rolling it between his fingers.
Everyone waited. Touya, Hawks, Shigaraki, Toga, and the Fallen Hero seeping through the shadows.
But nothing began until the child spoke.
At last, his lips parted slightly:
> *"Now, they have nothing. Lost records, destroyed hopes...
> When a prophecy begins, old parchments must burn."*
He placed the chess piece on the board.
A bishop.
White.
But its surface was dull, as if stained by tears.
Touya bowed his head.
> *"The Commission took everything they had.
> They’re... exactly where you wanted them, aren’t they?"*
The child chuckled softly. His laughter was a mix of innocence—like a child finding their toys—and madness.
Then he tilted his head.
> *"I know everything.
> When they wept...
> When they gave up...
> When they would rise again."*
The serpent slithered down his arm onto the board.
Its tail seemed to point at the chess pieces.
Its eyes gleamed with a wisdom that defied all who watched.
The throne’s owner picked up another piece.
A knight.
> *"For them to enter...
> a weak chain must break first.
> And that chain must appear to be one of them."*
Hawks’ eyes widened when he heard this.
> *"Me?
> Your chain... is me?"*
The child smiled. The answer was unclear, but even silence was on his side.
> *"I trust you,"* was all he said.
> *"Because you are one of the most broken. Broken things carry the most beautiful echoes."*
Toga narrowed her eyes and turned away.
> *"What about the trap?
> What if they’re caught again?"*
The child looked up.
On the stone ceiling, there was a faded map.
A labyrinth.
And at its center, an ancient symbol drawn in gold:
*"The Serpent’s Tear."*
> *"They needed to be caught,"* he whispered.
> *"Because some chains...
> only make a sound when they break."*
Slowly, he stood.
His red shoes echoed against the stone floor.
The entire room fell silent.
Another drop of blood slid from his nose.
But he did not wipe it away.
He only lifted the serpent to his forehead.
And whispered:
> *"Before a king falls, those closest recognize betrayal. But sometimes...
> betrayal is just another name for freedom."*
Then he closed his eyes and spoke one last time:
> *"Go, Hawks.
> Return to them. Bring the exiled stars back to the sky.
> The final act approaches."*
---
**"On the Edge of the Abyss" — Dream**
They stood in the heart of endless darkness.
All of them—Katsuki, Shoto, Uraraka, Kirishima, Momo, Mina, Denki, Sero, Jirou, Tsuyu, Iida—
separate, yet in the same place.
On the edge of an abyss.
The sky was starless.
The earth, dry and cracked.
The air, so heavy it felt impossible to breathe.
And then…
A sound rose from the depths of the earth, like a pulse.
From the center of the abyss, a massive stone throne began to rise toward the sky.
It was bound in chains… but there was only one child breaking them.
A small silhouette.
Running.
Small, frail, yet each step echoed through the world.
Red shoes.
That was the clearest thing.
With every step toward the throne… he grew.
Tattered bandages fluttered from his wrists, one arm scarred, the other marked by a coiling serpent tattoo.
His face… always in shadow.
But his eyes felt like they were burning.
And finally…
He reached the throne.
When he sat, the world trembled.
The eleven stars recoiled.
A voice resonated from the throne.
Not a whisper—not quite a command.
A decree.
> *"You were captured. Bound in chains. You forgot you were part of the game."*
> *"But... the game’s master is still me."*
> *"Behind the fallen, there is not just an abyss—sometimes, there is also a door."*
Then…
A second silhouette emerged from the void behind the throne.
A child with a shadowed face.
Small. On his knees. Hair disheveled. Breath ragged. Eyes wet.
It was Izuku Midoriya—as a child.
But no one spoke that name.
Because he was just the echo of a loss they all knew.
The child’s voice was cracked, but alive:
> *"Don’t give up."*
> *"Wake up. If there are chains... there is also a key."*
And then, the darkness slowly faded.
The abyss dissolved.
The throne sank into the stars.
And each of them... opened their eyes.
---
**"Chains" — Awakening**
They did not wake in separate cells.
But in a single circular chamber, facing one another.
Still hanging from chains from the ceiling…
Still suspended by their wrists.
But now, there was something else in their eyes: Fire.
Katsuki was the first to speak.
Sweat dripped from his brow as his voice came out in a whisper.
> *"Did you see it?"*
Shoto slowly lifted his head.
> *"That throne… it was one of us."*
Momo rubbed her eyes, but she couldn’t forget what she’d seen.
> *"He... woke us up."*
Kirishima gritted his teeth.
> *"We’re not broken yet."*
And Uraraka, her cheeks soaked with tears, whispered:
> *"Izuku… that wasn’t a dream."*
But none of them spoke his name aloud.
They couldn’t.
Because it had become a prayer now.
A forbidden, yet saving word.
And the chains were still around their wrists.
But their hearts had begun to break free.
---
**"The Hanging Stars"**
The chains dangled from the ceiling with the groan of iron.
Eleven stars...
Beneath a lightless lamp at the chamber’s center,
each suspended by their own burden.
Sweat trailed down Katsuki’s forehead as the manacles bit into his nerves.
But he was used to pain.
He could endure.
He had to.
Yet... that small gasp from Shoto cut through the air like a blade.
Uraraka was the first to notice.
> *"Shoto…?"*
His head hung low.
His eyes were dim, lips pale.
His left shoulder—the wound from battle that had never fully healed—
had reopened under the strain of hanging.
Blood dripped slowly downward.
Pooling in his palm, then falling to the floor.
Drip.
Drip.
Drip.
Katsuki’s pupils dilated.
For a brief moment... the world stopped.
> *"Shoto!"*
The panic in his voice was unmistakable.
Because losing someone else after Izuku... No. Never again.
Kirishima strained against his bonds, but the chains didn’t budge.
> *"We have to get him down! Katsuki, we have to do something!"*
Katsuki thrashed.
Clenched his shackles.
But the pain and helplessness only made his wrists—and his heart—bleed more.
Shoto’s head lolled slightly to the side.
His breathing was shallow.
Sweat mixed with the pallor of his face.
Uraraka couldn’t hold back her tears.
> *"We can’t lose him. Please… there has to be a way…"*
Momo’s voice trembled.
> *"His wound… it’s deepened. He’s losing too much blood. If it doesn’t stop…"*
Katsuki shut his eyes.
The same dream... the same throne… the same stars...
All of them seemed to retreat,
just as they were about to rise—only for another star to fall.
> *"I won’t leave you here, Shoto,"* he whispered.
His voice held no anger this time—
only a vow.
And then...
A crack.
A sound.
A fracture.
A shadow.
At the edge of the shadows,
as if caught between the walls and another reality...
a whisper rang out.
No one heard it.
But it—had always been there.
The Fallen Hero.
Kneeling within the darkness,
trapped between one world and the next,
his fingertips brushed the cold stone.
With the sound of dampness seeping through the cracks,
his words fell from his lips—
like a prayer, a curse, or just a warning.
> *"One of the stars...
> will fall very soon."*
> *"Unless the red bird...
> and the blue fire find the trail in time."*
His voice was slippery as the wind, cold as the darkness.
And the void behind him...
was filled with a silence even time refused to remember.
Like the flicker of a serpent, his voice coiled back into the shadows:
> *"Steep as endless stairs...*
> *Distant as the sky...*
> *Yet still, in a single move...*
> *Checkmate."*
*"The children still... don’t realize they are the pawns of the game."*
He picked up a shard of stone.
On it was an ancient mark:
**Δ**
A riddle?
Or just a memory?
> *"When the blue flame comes...*
> *Don’t look at the light that burns your eyes.*
> *Because the holiest thing...*
> *Smells most of blood when it burns."*
And then—
He tilted his head slightly.
From behind the walls came screams, shouts...
Uraraka’s voice cracked.
Katsuki’s voice was laced with rage and panic.
Mina’s trembled.
All of them were trying to reach Shoto.
But this place—was the edge of time.
And he was nothing more than a memory drifting through the shadows.
> *"The child’s heart is bleeding,"* he murmured to himself.
*"And one more star...*
*Wants a kiss before it fades."*
Suddenly, he lifted his head.
Through the shadows, he stared into the void.
Something was there.
A... throne.
And upon it, he glimpsed a figure.
He couldn’t see its face.
But the riddles whispered once more, like a distant echo:
> *"Those born on the edge of the abyss...*
> *Were not made just to fall—*
> *But to climb the sky."*
---
**🌒 Chain, Blood, and Those Who Came Too Late**
Every link of the chain was like the muffled echo of a prayer.
In the dark cell where they hung, each star was crucified.
But one...
**Shoto.**
He wasn’t swaying.
His weight was so still, it pierced the silent line between life and death.
Blood dripped from his shoulder, staining the bandages down his chest a deep crimson.
His pale face was lifeless—too dim even for the moonlight to illuminate.
Katsuki was locked onto him, unblinking.
His heart pounded. From within. Hard. Silent. Madly.
> *"Wake up,"* he said, voice trembling.
*"Shoto... please. Damn it, it’s not over yet..."*
But no answer came.
Only the creak of chains.
Only the drip of blood.
Mina gritted her teeth.
> *"No… no, it can’t be..."*
Sero whispered a curse.
Denki averted his eyes.
Tsuyu’s jaw quivered.
Momo closed her eyes as if in prayer.
Iida was about to shout, but his voice cracked.
Uraraka pulled at her chains—uselessly.
And then—
Katsuki held his breath.
Tensed his muscles.
Gripped the chain.
His nails dug into his skin, his wrists cracked.
Slowly, he twisted, planting his feet against the ceiling.
Jirou whispered:
> *"Katsuki… what are you doing…?"*
And then—it didn’t work on the first try.
The chain only groaned.
As if mocking the pain of the boy defying it.
Katsuki clenched his teeth.
Tried again.
His shoulders strained, his entire weight pushing upward.
His bones screamed.
Tears didn’t fall from his eyes—rage did.
Izuku’s face flashed in his mind.
Not his face—the absence of it.
The moment he couldn’t hold him.
The moment he was too late.
> *"I won’t… lose anyone else."*
And on the third try—
The chain **snapped.**
The sound echoed through the cell.
The links crashed against the walls.
Momo’s breath caught.
Kirishima yelled *"Katsuki!"*
Uraraka couldn’t hold back her tears.
And Katsuki—fell onto his back.
The wind knocked out of him.
The dust rising from the floor was as lonely as the stars.
But there was no time.
He scrambled up.
Staggered.
His injured leg nearly gave out, but he ignored it.
He ran.
He threw himself at Shoto’s body.
Wrapped his arms around him like a brother, gripping his waist and pulling him close.
Holding him steady.
Tight.
> *"Come on… damn it, breathe!"*
*"I won’t let them do this to you."*
All the stars held their breath.
Even if they couldn’t break free from their chains,
Their gazes locked onto that single moment.
A faint flutter in Shoto’s lashes.
Then a ragged breath.
And finally—a murmur, barely audible:
> *"Izuku… is he… still up there…?"*
The entire cell took a deep breath at once.
The stone lodged in their throats loosened slightly.
Sero leaned back against the cold wall.
Mina didn’t hide her tears.
Momo’s lips trembled.
Tsuyu whispered, *"Thank goodness…"*
Katsuki froze.
Kneeling, Shoto in his arms, a vision flashed before his eyes.
Green hair.
Covered in burns.
A trembling hand.
Just like this…
He had died in his arms too.
No.
**Hell no.**
I won’t lose anyone else.
> *"He’s still here,"* he said.
*"With you. With me. With all of us."*
And in that moment—two shadows slipped through the door.
---
**"Those Who Returned to Burn"**
When Touya stepped inside, the suffocating silence of the narrow, dark tunnel hit him like a slap.
But then—
The scent of blood.
Burning, metallic, tearing through him like an old wound.
For a moment, he stopped.
The past flooded his lungs.
His memory flashed to that little boy screaming in the flames—Shoto.
His brother.
The child he’d spent years burning in hell to protect.
His steps faltered.
His knees weakened.
An emptiness in his chest pressed down like a hammer.
His pupils dilated.
The storm inside him tore through the silence like a child’s muffled scream.
And in that moment—
He saw.
Nine bodies hanging from chains.
Some still unconscious, some silently struggling through tears.
But in the center—
**Shoto.**
Dangling like a broken puppet.
His face pale.
His chest…
Drenched in blood.
And holding him—
Holding him tight—
**Katsuki Bakugou.**
His entire body straining to bear Shoto’s weight,
His hands pressing against the wound,
Trying to stop the blood with sheer fury.
But what was truly bleeding…
Were his own eyes.
Katsuki looked up.
His crimson gaze cut through Touya’s chest like a blade.
His scream shattered the darkness:
> *"YOU’RE TOO LATE!"*
*"WHERE THE HELL WERE YOU!? HUH!?"*
*"YOU! TOUYA!"*
*"THIS IS—THIS IS YOUR BROTHER, DAMN IT, WHAT KINDA HELL WERE YOU IN!?"*
*"HE’S DYING… AND YOU WEREN’T HERE!"*
*"YOU PROMISED HIM YOU’D COME BACK—DID HE HAVE TO DIE FOR YOU TO RETURN!?"*
The words pounded against the walls.
The ground trembled.
Silence was obliterated.
Touya’s legs gave out.
He fell to his knees.
His hands clutched his head.
His entire body was wracked with the scream of a shattered past.
And at the center of that scream—
Was his brother.
Shoto.
The little boy who had turned his back to the sky and walked into darkness to keep him away from the flames.
Now…
In someone else’s arms,
Slowly…
Burning away.
Hawks stood a few steps behind.
He didn’t move.
Couldn’t step forward, couldn’t step back.
He hid the weight of his guilt beneath the ghost of wings.
And Katsuki—
Only tightened his arms around Shoto’s waist.
The chains still swayed from the ceiling.
But he wouldn’t let him fall now.
Wouldn’t let **anyone** fall again.
And then—
Shoto’s eyelids fluttered weakly open.
A faint whisper escaped his chest.
Like the last breath of a prayer soaked in blood.
> *"Izuku... Don’t go..."*
Just a name.
But what echoed through the room was a ghost.
A voice rising from the grave of a legend.
**Izuku.**
The shadow of that name spread through the chains, the stone ceiling, the shores of their hearts.
And everyone fell silent.
Because it wasn’t just a child’s name.
He was a lost star.
And his light…
Still burned bright enough to scorch them all.
The wind howled in the distance.
The sky was still hazy, but…
Far away, the stars had begun to flicker.
Chapter 37: REBELLION OF THE 11 STARS: THE FINAL ACT
Summary:
YOU THOUGHT CHAINS COULD HOLD STARS?
WE DON'T BURN.
WE IGNITE THE SKY
-GROUND ZERO-
🩸💥💣
Chapter Text
**"And the Wound Bleeds When Touched"**
The last link of the chain cracked.
Hawks’ hand loosened the ring that bound another star.
Eight... nine...
Swift but gentle, careful yet frantic.
Time weighed heavy on his shoulders like a burden.
Every broken chain was like the beat of a heart.
Touya, however, was silent.
Amid the echo of chains crashing against the stone wall, only one thing filled his gaze:
His brother.
Shoto still lay curled in Katsuki’s arms,
burning like a pale flame.
Touya took a step forward.
His trembling hand reached out.
His fingertips longed to brush Shoto’s forehead, his hair—
a touch he had only dreamed of for years.
But…
Katsuki suddenly lifted his head.
His eyes were still bloodshot.
He shifted his body as if shielding Shoto,
tightening his grip around him.
**"Don’t touch him,"** he said, voice hoarse.
The words struck Touya like a slap.
He recoiled with a wounded look.
But inside… inside that scorched room of his heart…
the flames roared even hotter.
His crimson eyes locked onto his brother.
Shoto was still alive.
And that was enough.
His time hadn’t come yet.
Behind them, as Hawks continued breaking the chains one by one,
Denki, Mina, Sero, Tsuyu, and Iida carefully lowered their freed friends to the ground.
When Momo’s eyes flickered to Shoto for just a moment,
she immediately clasped her hands together.
A bright light gathered in her palms,
and in an instant, soft medical bandages, an oxygen mask, and antiseptic solutions
materialized around her.
**"Don’t move him,"** she said quietly but firmly.
**"The blood loss is too severe. We need to apply pressure."**
Katsuki adjusted Shoto’s body in his arms, lifting him slightly higher.
It wasn’t just his brother he was holding—it felt like a lifetime.
Momo’s hands worked swiftly around the wound,
while Jirou listened to Shoto’s breathing with a small device.
Tsuyu knelt in the corner, tears streaming down her face,
but she was alert—ready to leap at the first sign of danger.
And then…
Shoto’s lips trembled.
Behind his barely parted eyelids,
shadows and light blurred together.
He looked at Touya.
His gaze seemed delirious, yet…
his voice trembled with consciousness:
**"Touya-nii…"**
**"You came back… didn’t you?"**
**"You… didn’t leave me."**
Touya’s knees nearly gave out.
In that moment, he was a child buried beneath a collapsing mountain.
He hadn’t abandoned him.
But more importantly…
Shoto had forgiven him.
No one spoke at first.
Not Hawks, not Katsuki, not Momo—no one could utter a word.
Only the heat of welling tears filled their eyes.
And then Touya moved.
He crouched down slowly.
This time, Katsuki didn’t stop him.
Because Shoto’s weak hand reached for Touya’s arm—
Like a little child.
Like a little brother.
And Touya wiped the tears streaking down his cheeks.
For the first time in years…
he loved without speaking.
But someone shattered that moment.
Hawks.
A file in hand, blood still fresh on his back.
**"We’re out of time,"** he said.
**"The Commission could return any second. This was just the first wave. More are coming."**
No one moved.
No one stood.
Because in that moment, only one thing mattered.
Shoto was alive.
Katsuki exhaled.
Slowly, he lowered Shoto onto the blanket beneath them.
Then knelt beside him.
But his eyes…
his eyes still screamed the agony of that night,
of Izuku,
of being too late once again.
And in that heavy silence,
a whisper from beyond the wall went unheard.
But it was there.
**"As the stars fall one by one,"**
**"the brightest pierces the sky first..."**
**"Breaking Point II – Where Time Shatters"**
Dust…
Time crumbled like concrete fragments from the walls.
Every breath felt like a delayed step.
Katsuki still held Shoto in his arms.
He no longer noticed the blood clinging to his hands—if Shoto was still breathing, the fight wasn’t over.
But Shoto’s eyes dimmed with every passing second.
**"You didn’t leave me, Touya-nii..."**
The words echoed.
The kind that tore something from inside.
Touya stood frozen in his brother’s bloodied words.
Only his eyes moved—those blue eyes that once burned everything.
And then…
Hawks knelt on one knee.
The decision was final now.
**"The Commission is coming back. Heavily armed, merciless. We’re out of time."**
Katsuki lifted his head.
His gaze was like a battle-axe.
**"You’re not taking him anywhere."**
Touya stepped closer.
At first, he didn’t speak.
But he reached out.
Not to his brother—to Katsuki.
**"I trust you, Katsuki. But this isn’t about trust."**
**"Shoto is dying."**
Katsuki tightened his hold on Shoto.
The other heroes exchanged fearful glances in the encroaching darkness.
Sero murmured helplessly:
**"What if… we lose him…?"**
Momo, still pulling bloodied gauze from her first-aid kit, bit her trembling lip.
Iida, behind cracked glasses, searched for fractured logic:
**"If we split up, we’ll be weaker. But… if we don’t… we’ll lose him."**
Touya spoke one last time.
His voice was cracked but stood like an unyielding wall:
**"I’ve always tried to protect him… but this time, I really have to take him."**
And Hawks intervened.
He unfolded a file—an old map.
Secret passages marked its surface.
**"We split the plan in two. Ten follow me. The files must reach the Commission’s inner records. The public needs to know the truth."**
**"Touya… will get Shoto out of this hell."**
**"Behind the Flames" — Katsuki’s Inner War**
He didn’t know how much time had passed.
The sweat on his back hung like an unshed drop—suspended in air.
His heartbeat was deafening, loud enough to rupture his eardrums.
And his hands…
His hands wouldn’t let go.
Shoto lay silent in his arms now.
Half-conscious.
Breath shallow.
His weight was more than just a body now.
Guilt.
Rage.
Fear.
Everything added to that weight.
**"Again…?"**
His eyes burned—not with tears, but with fire.
He couldn’t stop the explosion inside.
Behind his eyelids, he still saw Izuku’s lifeless body.
A ghost that slipped through his fingers years ago…
Now those same hands—held Shoto’s life.
**"Another one slipping through my hands…"**
**"Will I be too late again…?"**
Touya stood before him.
His hand was outstretched.
Not to take—but to carry.
To protect.
But Katsuki’s mind was a battlefield where trust warred.
Barricades stood on all sides.
If one fell… everything would collapse.
His inner voice wasn’t a whisper anymore—it was a scream:
**"If I lose him too… I swear, I’ll go with him."**
Suddenly, he looked down at Shoto.
A child…
Born to be a hero like him.
Yet scarred just as deeply.
**"Letting you go… would be like dying."**
And yet…
Sometimes, retreat was the only way to win.
Katsuki closed his eyes.
Though his lips trembled, he didn’t speak.
Silently, he slowly passed Shoto into Touya’s arms.
In that moment…
The world fell silent.
Everyone held their breath.
Katsuki’s eyes were a crimson apocalypse now.
His gaze screamed, **"If you take one wrong step, I’ll destroy you."**
Not with words.
With his heart.
And When Shoto’s Fingers Brushed Touya’s Collar..."**
Katsuki’s hands hovered in the air,
as if he could still touch him.
As if, so long as he held on, Shoto would keep living…
Then he took a step back.
Swallowed hard.
No sound escaped him, but his heart screamed:
**"Let this be the last time."**
**"I can’t lose anyone else."**
**"After Izuku… I can’t lose Shoto too."**
Silence.
Only Shoto’s ragged breaths.
Finally, Katsuki gritted his teeth.
His voice shook as he demanded:
**"How the hell am I supposed to trust you, Touya!?"**
Touya didn’t look away.
**"Because I was too late too. And if I’m late again… I’ll die with him."**
Katsuki carefully passed Shoto into Touya’s arms—
but his hands refused to let go.
They *couldn’t*.
And then… he pressed a kiss to his forehead.
**"Don’t… don’t you dare leave me unfinished, Shoto. If you break now… I’ll never forgive you."**
When Touya lifted his brother, some of them began to cry.
But this wasn’t the time for tears—it was time to move.
The red-winged hawk and the blue flame melted into the darkness.
Those left behind turned toward the Commission’s shadow, hearts fractured but still burning.
🌑 **"Two Paths, One Oath"**
*(11 Stars Missing, But the Sky Still Shines)*
The silence crept in through their feet first.
Then their breaths… then their hearts.
On a night that reeked of dust, a single decision fell to the ground.
And the moment it landed, everything split in two:
On one side, blood.
On the other, prophecy.
### **The Blue Flame Racing Against Time**
Touya bent forward as he gathered Shoto into his arms.
He didn’t hesitate.
But his hands trembled.
For the first time, a man who commanded fire feared burning someone.
His brother’s weight on his back…
The night on his face.
A scorched wound in his lungs, suppressed for years.
And still ringing in his ears—Shoto’s weak voice:
**"Touya-nii… you came back…"**
Time was running out.
And Touya knew it.
Shoto’s pulse slowed with every second.
His legs were soaked in blood.
But he refused to stop carrying him.
Just like he’d refused to stop burning all those years.
⚔️ **— The Chain Breaker, Burning with a Vow**
Katsuki stood behind them.
His gaze locked onto Shoto, still cradled in Touya’s arms.
His crimson eyes burned like fire.
But this wasn’t an explosion—it was the blaze of helplessness.
To lose again…
To be too late again…
*No.*
He swallowed. Clenched his fists.
Turned away.
Behind him waited tired but resolute faces:
Uraraka, Kirishima, Momo, Denki, Iida, Mina, Sero, Jirou, Tsuyu...
All here. But incomplete.
One star was missing.
And the sky was waiting for it.
**"We’re ending this,"** he said quietly.
**"For him… for all of us."**
🛡️ **The Silent March on the Commission**
The Commission’s cold walls didn’t hear the footsteps of 11 stars.
But every rotten secret inside
had been waiting for them.
Momo’s EMP emitter disabled the security system.
Denki cracked the remaining codes.
Uraraka slipped inside.
And there, between dusty shelves…
A single file hid the rot of the past.
**"Project Starfall."**
Photos of children lined up in a nameless lab.
Lives stripped of memories, torn from families.
An attempt to replicate a legend.
But one… had refused to obey.
Shoto, cradled in Touya’s arms, still dreamed behind closed eyelids.
A figure in red shoes stood before a throne.
When the throne was claimed, the sky had blazed with 11 stars.
But Shoto was still falling.
Blood seeped from his body.
But his brother’s hands… held him.
### **Two Paths, One Sky**
On one side—
Touya burst into a medical facility, screaming:
**"HELP HIM! MY BROTHER IS DYING!"**
On the other—
Katsuki knelt in the Commission’s secure archives,
reading Shoto’s file.
His heart ached.
His eyes burned.
And he stood:
**"Enough… this ends now."**
Somewhere, a boy on a throne
gently reached toward a chessboard,
his arm coiled with a serpent tattoo.
*Checkmate.*
He whispered softly:
**"The game begins with a missing star…"**
**"But even in the darkest sky, the brightest one…"**
**"is always the last to fall."**
The Fallen Hero watched from the shadows.
Through Touya’s fire, Katsuki’s roar,
and Shoto’s faltering pulse.
**"Even if one star falls…"** he murmured to himself,
**"the sky is still ours."**
Not Yet Time" – Shoto's Prophecy**
The room was silent.
Only the ragged, panicked gasps from Touya's chest broke the stillness.
Shoto lay motionless on the medical cot, his skin pale, his breath nearly invisible.
Touya knelt at his bedside, head bowed.
The pain he had spent years running from, stubbornly suppressing—it was real now.
**"I burned myself… so they wouldn’t touch you."**
**"But now… now you’re burning too."**
A shudder ran through him. His fingers fumbled for Shoto’s hand—but the skin was cold.
And in that moment…
Shoto’s consciousness drifted away from his wounded body.
He walked through darkness.
Dust beneath his feet, silence above his head.
And there it stood.
The throne.
The one from their dreams—rising among the stars, silencing even time itself.
He stepped closer.
Shoto.
Beneath his feet, the earth was rotten.
With every step, another crack split open, revealing fragments of the past.
He stood at the edge of an abyss.
Below him, nothingness.
Above, the massive, ancient throne, encircled by stars.
Time seemed frozen around it.
But he wasn’t alone.
A silhouette… a shadow… a single step.
A hand reached from behind and gently touched his shoulder.
Not cold.
Not burning.
That hand… carried a trust he knew, a warmth he had forgotten for years.
Shoto startled, tried to turn.
**"No, Shoto. Not yet."**
But before he could turn, the figure…
slowly, silently embraced him from behind.
Their arms wrapped around him like a shield.
Not like the protective love of an older brother from childhood…
This was something else—a touch from beyond time itself.
And then, that voice…
It whispered:
**"It’s not yet time, Todoroki Shoto."**
**"This world hasn’t lost you yet."**
Shoto’s breath caught in his throat.
He tried to turn—
But the figure pressed their forehead against the nape of his neck, holding him still.
**"Don’t look back."**
**"Not yet."**
**"But listen."**
The throne began to glow.
Time bent.
And from the darkness, laughter rose.
The vision sharpened.
The UA dormitory.
Three boys in the courtyard: Katsuki, Izuku, and Shoto.
They were running.
Crashing into each other, falling, getting back up.
Fighting, then hugging.
Shoto watched.
His own childhood.
A smile—painful like a lost season—touched his lips.
The figure still held him.
And then, they spoke again:
**"Some things aren’t lost, Shoto."**
**"Just forgotten."**
**"But you didn’t forget."**
**"Those who remember… don’t fall."**
Shoto’s eyes welled up.
No tears fell—time worked differently in this dream.
But his soul wept.
The throne’s owner then pointed upward.
The ceiling cracked.
And from it… a great tree stretched into the sky.
Its branches were woven with stars.
Every leaf trembled like the memory of a hero.
The sky shattered.
The ceiling collapsed.
And there it rose: the Tree of Life.
Its roots reached toward the heavens, its branches cradling eleven stars.
One was dim—but the rest flickered.
Alive.
Still fighting.
Still together.
The throne’s owner leaned closer to Shoto’s ear.
Their breath was warm and uneven.
Their voice—childlike, yet shattered.
**"Don’t fear the fading star."**
**"Because stars don’t fall from the sky—they fall from the heart."**
**"And yours still shines."**
The bandages around their arms unraveled.
As one loosened, Shoto looked at their wrist.
A serpent tattoo.
Coiling from their palm up their arm, alive and shifting.
And then, something was pressed into Shoto’s chest.
A UA pendant.
Dusty.
Scorched.
But still there.
**"When the time comes, turn to me."**
**"But for now… wake up."**
**"A star is still waiting for you."**
And then, the figure…
was pulled back into the shadows.
### **Awakening: "What Remains in the Dark"**
Stardust still clung to Shoto’s lashes.
But when he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw wasn’t the sky—
but a cold, damp, darkened ceiling.
That abyss, that throne, that warm embrace…
Had it all been a dream?
Or was it another reality, lingering between truth and illusion?
For a moment, his breath hitched.
His lungs felt crushed under the weight of the world.
His eyes shifted slowly.
And then he understood—he wasn’t alone.
A shadow sat silently at his bedside.
Head buried in their hands, waiting.
Touya.
Even when Shoto noticed him, he didn’t speak.
Because what could he say?
Between them lay too much—too many words left unspoken.
In that moment, language had no meaning.
Shoto’s voice came out like a reflection in a shattered mirror:
**"Touya-nii…?"**
Touya’s head snapped up.
His eyes were bloodshot.
His fingers had clawed his own palms raw without realizing.
When their eyes met, time collapsed between them.
The thing they called brotherhood had rusted over years of silence.
But now…
Now that silence was filled with regret, fear, and that awful, suffocating *"too late."*
Touya’s lips trembled.
He couldn’t shape the right words.
But in the end, only one escaped:
**"I’m… sorry."**
Shoto stared at the ceiling.
Still searching for the stars, the Tree of Life from his dream.
**"I… saw him there, Touya-nii."**
**"His pendant… his eyes… he didn’t let go."**
Touya recognized the name hidden in those words.
But Shoto didn’t say it.
Because his heart already knew who sat on that throne.
A name wasn’t needed.
Touya leaned closer to the bed.
He reached out—then pulled back.
How could he touch the brother he had once burned with his own hands?
But Shoto turned…
and took his hands.
A weak but deliberate grip.
An acceptance.
Not forgiveness…
But proof that nothing else could come between them now.
Shoto’s eyes blurred.
**"Don’t… leave me again."**
**"No more, okay?"**
For the first time, Touya cried.
Silently.
Just like when he was a child, peeking into Shoto’s room in secret.
Just like that night, burning inside as he stared at a starless sky.
In the end, all he could whisper was:
**"I’ll stay."**
**"Like a brother… should."**
**"This time… until the end."**
### **The Dark Passage**
The narrow underground corridor still reeked of antiseptic and dampness.
The metal door hung broken, forced open by the sharp strikes of Hawks’ red feathers.
Mina was the first out—her face pale, eyes still wet with the marks of chains.
Denki and Sero followed, leaning on each other as they stepped from the suffocating dungeon.
Iida carried Tsuyu on his back as he climbed the stairs.
His glasses were shattered, but his steps were firm.
Momo helped Jirou, her own steps weak but her grip tight around the medical bag—still holding the supplies that had kept Shoto alive.
And last…
Katsuki emerged.
Shoto’s blood still stained his back.
Rust from the chains still clung to his hands.
His eyes still burned with a flickering rage.
He stopped before the exit.
From inside, screams still echoed—the curse of the past.
The hallway was silent now.
The clang of chains had stopped.
The scent of blood still clung to the walls, but now it carried the echo of vengeance, not fear.
Katsuki was the last to leave.
He stood at the threshold like a soldier surveying a battlefield.
Shoto’s weight still pressed on his shoulders, and in his chest—an emptiness screaming another child’s name.
He took a step, then paused.
Reached into his pocket—nothing was there.
**"Ponytail,"** he said hoarsely.
**"Give me paint. Red."**
First, Momo didn’t understand.**
But then she saw the look in his eyes—just like before, just like the day Deku died.
This was no joke.
Nothing was.
**"Red?"**
**"Like blood."**
And Momo reached out.
From her palm, a small can of red spray paint materialized.
She handed it to Katsuki.
Katsuki turned.
The wall still stared back at them.
The screams of dozens of heroes trapped inside, the traces of silenced justice,
and the Commission’s shadow—still believed invincible.
But no more.
Katsuki popped the cap.
The paint hissed as it met the wall.
He wasn’t writing words.
He was writing a declaration.
A manifesto.
Every line sprayed onto the wall was a war cry.
Each letter pressed deep, as if carving his fury into the stone with blood:
**"YOU THOUGHT YOU SILENCED US."**
**"YOU WERE WRONG."**
**"YOU FORGOT US."**
**"WE CAME TO REMIND YOU."**
**"YOUR CHAINS ARE BROKEN."**
**"NOW IT’S OUR TURN."**
**"VENGEANCE."**
**"JUSTICE."**
**"THE RISING 11 STARS."**
**"ACT ONE IS OVER."**
**"WE ARE NO LONGER SIDE CHARACTERS."**
**"OUR TURN NOW—THE 11 STARS."**
And at the bottom, he signed it.
In spray paint, but sharp as a blade’s edge:
**"— GROUND ZERO"**
Beside it, he pressed his palm—dried blood mixing with the paint.
Iida hesitated.
**"Katsuki—"**
But he couldn’t finish.
Because Katsuki turned—and in his eyes was everything.
Brokenness. Rage. Defiance. And a vow made to Izuku.
**"Move,"** was all he said.
**"The war’s just starting."**
Then he stepped back.
One by one, the other heroes paused.
Mina couldn’t hold back her tears.
Denki clenched his fists.
Sero held his breath.
Momo just stared at the wall.
And bowed her head.
**"There’s no going back now."**
Katsuki threw the can down.
It clattered against the concrete, rolling to a stop at the wall’s base.
**"Not in Izuku’s name…"**
**"We’ll end this war in ours."**
Because they weren’t just eleven anymore.
They were the resurrection of a prophecy.
And for the Commission—
The final act had begun.
Chapter 38: The Stars Write Their Vengeance
Summary:
Just because the sky is dark doesn't mean the stars have gone out...**
**They keep burning - silently, stubbornly -**
**until the darkness itself catches fire...✨🔥When the sacrifice falls silent,**
**the executioner's voice echoes forever
-Fallen Hero-
Chapter Text
Chapter: "Silence in the Shelter"**
The shelter...
With its cold walls, the smell of mildew, and cracked concrete in places, was silent—unlike the apocalypse raging outside.
But that silence wasn’t peace.
It was oppression.
As if the walls themselves were watching, bearing witness.
As if they felt guilty.
Exhausted footsteps stumbled in one after another.
Dust-covered, tattered cloaks, bloodstained gloves, and labored breaths they tried to suppress.
When Katsuki reached the center of the shelter, he could no longer hold on.
His knees buckled.
Slowly, he sank to the ground.
But this wasn’t surrender.
> **"Damn it…"**
He clutched his left leg. It was trembling.
The price of breaking those chains to reach Shoto…
Hadn’t yet been paid.
Momo rushed to him immediately.
> **"Don’t move!"**
Her hands clenched, her eyes not their usual calm—but panicked.
She conjured a first-aid kit. Bandages, antiseptics…
But this time, even she was exhausted.
Her mind itself was trembling.
Uraraka quietly knelt beside Katsuki.
It was the first time she’d seen him so broken.
Carefully, she held his leg, wrapping it in silence.
When one of her hands shook, Katsuki didn’t push her away.
> **"Shoto…"** Denki murmured.
**"Was it really the right call… leaving him with Touya?"**
Mina couldn’t answer.
She just lowered her gaze.
Sero leaned against the wall, holding his breath.
As if speaking it aloud would make it real.
Kirishima slammed his fist against the ground.
> **"But we had no choice!"**
> **"What… what if we’re too late?"** Jirou whispered.
**"What if Touya—?"**
Silence fell again.
This time, heavier.
As if they were all suppressing the same thought:
> **"We already lost one… we can’t lose another."**
Tsuyu crouched down, resting her hands on her knees.
> **"What about Aoyama’s betrayal?"**
**"Was he the one who woke the Commission?"**
Hawks had been standing silently in the corner until now.
But then, he lifted his head.
> **"Yes."**
His voice was hoarse, broken—but clear.
**"Someone on the inside leaked all our plans…**
**Aoyama’s connection was never truly severed."**
Eyes turned to one another.
Betrayal had fallen among them like a link in a chain.
> **"But we still have intel,"** Momo said.
**"Those documents—they expose the Commission’s darkest schemes.**
**The Star Project. The children with erased memories…"**
Denki looked at Katsuki.
> **"What do we do now? Shoto’s gone. You’re injured. Aoyama was never really with us.**
**Are we still stars?"**
Katsuki lifted his head.
His leg was bandaged.
His face was pale.
But his eyes—burned.
Just like when he’d grabbed Shoto, when he’d shattered those chains.
> **"Being a star… isn’t about never falling."**
**"It’s about burning.**
**Lighting up the darkness before you fade."**
Then, he looked at them:
**"And yeah… we’re still eleven.**
**Shoto’s alive. He’ll stay alive. Because we say so."**
Kirishima. Mina. Sero. Uraraka. Momo. Denki. Tsuyu. Jirou. Iida…
One by one, they bowed their heads.
They looked at each other.
Each one bandaged. Each one broken.
But still here.
And if the sky was still dark…
Then this was their moment.
### **Chapter: "A Voice from the Shadows"**
Time seemed frozen in the shelter.
Exhaustion, failure, betrayal…
They clung to the silent stars gathered around the table.
Everything they’d done—shattered by Aoyama’s treachery.
Shoto was still gone.
And hope stuck to their fingers like dried blood on paper.
Then—
A chill swept through the room.
The light dimmed slightly—not a power outage, but something deeper.
The darkness of a presence.
An instinctive whisper that something was coming.
The door didn’t open.
No footsteps were heard.
But a shadow—one they had long forgotten—detached itself from the corner.
The Commission documents on the table trembled faintly.
A few pages flipped, as if caught in an unseen breeze.
And then—a figure emerged.
His face half-hidden in shadow.
His jacket torn, his hands wrapped in bandages.
A black serpent tattoo coiled from his arm to his wrist, writhing in the flickering light.
But the most striking thing… was his voice.
A low, aged whisper.
> **"I warned you,"** he said.
**"But the stars were too fixated on their light to hear the screams in the dark."**
Everyone turned.
Denki flinched back.
Uraraka’s lips trembled.
Momo’s eyes were fixed on the documents—her fingers cut by the paper she clutched, but she didn’t even feel it.
And Katsuki—
He stood, ignoring the pain in his leg.
His voice was steel:
> **"The hell? You decide to show up NOW?"**
**"While we were out here dying, where the hell were you—hugging your shadow in some corner!?"**
The Fallen Hero didn’t answer.
He simply walked forward, approaching the table.
His fingers brushed the open files.
A few headings stood out:
**"Project: Star Core"**
**"Warning: Mind-Wiping Agents"**
**"The Silenced List"**
He pointed to one:
**"INCIDENT REPORT: 8 YEARS AGO — Missing Children"**
Then, he lifted his head.
His eyes remained in shadow.
But his voice…
Echoed like a prophecy, not a prayer:
> **"Every fall leaves a mark.**
**And some marks… are carved into time."**
**"I am that mark.**
**The echo of the forgotten. The suppressed. The silenced."**
Katsuki narrowed his eyes.
Not with hatred—
But with deep unease.
He could feel something unraveling.
The Fallen Hero took another step.
Slowly, he pulled a single page from the documents.
Aoyama’s name was on it.
Beneath it, a single line in bold:
**"Planned Betrayal: Sleeper Agent"**
His gaze swept over the stars.
And he said:
> **"When betrayal walked through your door, I told you.**
**But you… were as blind as stars, as proud as stars."**
**"Now you ask—where was I?"**
**"I… was always here."**
**"Because shadows come before stars."**
Kirishima gritted his teeth.
Rage still festered in his chest.
> **"We don’t need riddles—we need a plan!"**
**"Enough of this crap—!"**
But the Fallen Hero tilted his head slightly.
And whispered once more:
> **"Then listen…**
**Because the game has begun anew.**
**And this time…**
**I will be the final piece."**
The Fallen Hero still stood in shadow.
But now, even the darkness felt too small for him.
The air in the shelter was thick, suffocating even the echoes of their voices.
The documents remained open.
Aoyama’s betrayal, Shoto’s blood, Katsuki’s scream—all of it was still here.
But the Fallen Hero took one more step.
His serpent tattoo pulsed like a heartbeat in the dark.
The frayed edges of his cloak swayed like a silent language.
Hawks watched him closely, tension lining his face.
> **"More riddles?"** Hawks muttered.
**"More hints, more shadows?"**
The Fallen Hero lowered his head.
And the words that left his lips were both a warning and a taunt:
> **"What is born in shadow does not die in light…**
**And every prophecy is sealed with a sacrifice."**
**"You eleven stars…**
**Have yet to choose yours."**
A frozen silence spread through the shelter.
Uraraka’s eyes widened.
Momo’s hands dropped the half-wrapped bandages.
Denki swallowed hard.
Kirishima tried to stand but couldn’t move.
And Katsuki—
He was already on his feet.
The bandage on his shoulder had come loose, but he didn’t care.
His eyes locked onto the Fallen Hero’s.
With a sneer, he hissed:
> **"Enough!**
**You think you’re some damn god with your cryptic crap!?"**
**"Shoto’s still gone! We still have no leads!**
**Did you come here just to spout riddles!?**
**Or are you hiding something!?"**
His words were daggers.
But the Fallen Hero smiled.
Neither angered nor retreating.
He simply stepped closer—until he stood right before Katsuki.
Then… he leaned in.
Close enough that only Katsuki could hear, he whispered a single sentence:
> **"Shoto… is still beneath the stars."**
**"But soon… he will either reach the light…**
**Or be lost to the shadows forever."**
Katsuki’s eyes widened.
His breath hitched.
He forgot the bloodied bandage on his leg, his fingers trembling.
> **"What the hell does that mean!?"**
**"WHAT DOES THAT MEAN!?"**
But the Fallen Hero had already turned away.
The tattered edges of his coat fluttered.
His serpent tattoo flashed one last time.
And like a shadow slipping through the walls—he was gone.
Hawks was silent.
His hands in his pockets, deep in thought.
A single phrase curled at the edge of his lips:
> **"That kid…**
**He knew everything from the start."**
Momo sat at the table quietly, reorganizing the documents.
But her head was bowed.
> **"Shoto…"** Uraraka whispered.
**"What if we’re too late?"**
Katsuki slammed his fist onto the table.
The impact sent papers scattering.
> **"We’re not.**
**This time… I won’t allow it."**
His words weren’t just a vow—they were an order.
A resolve fueled by fire and blood.
### **The Silent Table Where No Sacrifice is Named**
Night weighed heavily over the shelter.
Even the cracks in the floor seemed deeper.
The heroes—no, now they were just "stars"—gathered around the table with little left to say.
Hawks reopened the documents.
The small orb of light Momo had created cast a flickering glow over them.
The Commission’s secrets…
Stolen children, weapons trained, erased memories.
All buried within those pages.
And then, someone whispered the words first.
Maybe Denki, maybe Tsuyu—it was impossible to tell.
But once spoken, everything changed:
> **"If this war continues…**
**…we’ll have to sacrifice someone."**
Silence.
Tsuyu averted her eyes. Mina bit her lip.
Jirou’s fingers twitched involuntarily.
But the deepest silence came from Katsuki.
His crimson eyes weren’t fixed on the papers—but on empty space.
> **"Who do we choose?"**
This time, it was Uraraka who asked.
But her voice sounded foreign even to herself.
> **"Who… do we sacrifice?"**
The same knot tightened in every throat.
And then—a voice came from the darkness.
Not heard with ears… but with the soul.
The Fallen Hero stepped from the shadows.
His face half-veiled.
But his eyes—they burned like embers from a fire.
He approached the table.
No one told him to speak.
He had always been speaking.
They just hadn’t been listening.
Now, everyone fell silent.
Because when he spoke, his words weren’t whispers—they were truth.
> **"You still don’t know who to save… do you?"**
Mina’s hands clenched together.
Jirou held her breath.
> **"Because one of you already saved you."**
> **"Years ago. In that great war. That child. The one who walked through the burning city in red shoes…"**
Hawks bowed his head.
His eyes lost in memory.
> **"You thought he was a symbol of peace. Then a hero. Then… nothing."**
The Fallen Hero placed his hands on the documents.
Not a sound.
Only heartbeats.
> **"But you never heard him. Even when he screamed. Even when he said, ‘I’m right here.’"**
Finally, Katsuki looked up.
His eyes were blood-red.
The Fallen Hero turned to him.
He didn’t speak.
But somehow… it was all about him.
> **"The sacrifice…"** he said simply.
**"…was given while you weren’t looking."**
---
An Echoing Confession in the Silence**
Uraraka couldn’t hold back her tears.
Momo bowed her head.
And Katsuki—
His hands clenched into fists.
Because he felt the truth more deeply than anyone.
> **"We… silenced him."**
And in that moment, they all understood.
The sacrifice wasn’t one of them.
It was the child who had walked ahead—
The one they never looked back for.
### **The Truth Rained Down Like a Storm Upon the Silence**
The table was silent.
Breaths came in halves.
Their gazes buried in the documents, but no line held new meaning anymore.
The truth had already surfaced.
The Fallen Hero took another step from the edge of the shadows.
Yet he still wasn’t fully visible.
What truly revealed him was his voice.
And in that voice… there was slaughter.
Soft yet thorned.
Melancholic, yet laced with a sickening delight, he spoke in that razor-thin tone:
> **"It hurts, doesn’t it?"**
**"A pain too deep to explain. Because… you realized too late."**
Denki averted his eyes.
Mina’s pupils shrank.
Katsuki stayed silent—not from anger this time.
Because the words were nails driven into his throat.
The Fallen Hero stepped closer.
His face still half-shadowed, but his smile had already surrendered to the moonlight.
A kind of… pleasure.
As if watching them break was a ritual offered to the gods.
> **"You exalted a hero. Then, you destroyed him. Just like those who lift others to the sky—only to gouge out their eyes after…"**
Hawks lowered his head.
His eyes fixed only on the documents—his own past.
The Fallen Hero didn’t stop.
His voice carried a melody woven into it, like a dirge.
His own composition.
A song only the ruined could hear.
> **"You burned him. When he came to save you, you said: ‘Too much.’ ‘Too strong, too emotional, too stubborn…’"**
A brief silence.
As if everyone recognized the true owner of those words.
> **"And yet… he just believed. In you. In the future. That the world could be fairer."**
Momo’s fingers trembled.
The first-aid kit in her lap nearly slipped.
No one had the strength left to speak.
Katsuki closed his eyes.
A storm raged inside him—whirling back to the past, to a mother’s wail, to the silence of a statue.
And then—the Fallen Hero locked eyes with him.
His gaze was a sharpened blade.
> **"The sacrifice was already made,"** he said, low but resonant.
**"And the one who shattered him most… was you."**
Katsuki shuddered.
But he didn’t speak.
Because if he did, he would break.
If that *one truth* inside him wasn’t suppressed, everything would collapse.
The Fallen Hero tilted his head slightly.
Pleased.
> **"Now you’re starting to understand, aren’t you?"**
**"The true sacrifice… was already gone."**
**"You even forgot how to mourn him."**
The heroes couldn’t even look at each other anymore.
The documents on the table lay open like a bloody scripture.
But the pages held no answers—only regret.
And there, half-lost in the shadows, stood a figure
Pointing relentlessly at their deepest wound.
> **"Open your eyes now,"** said the Fallen Hero, smiling.
**"Because this time… you know exactly what you’re saving."**
### **Buried in the Night: A Child Alone on UA's Rooftop**
The sky was so dark that even the stars shone in whispers.
The wind drifted silently across UA’s rooftop,
carrying a stillness within the cold—
and at the center of that stillness sat a child.
Red shoes glowed faintly in the night.
Moonlight danced on his hair,
while in his hands… the scars of old wounds still ached.
But this child had no face.
His eyes were hidden in shadow.
As if still afraid to be seen.
Or perhaps… as if he no longer wanted anyone to look at him.
When the wind swept through his hair,
the child lifted his head to the sky.
His eyes held no spark—
only weight.
> **"I said so many things…"**
**"But no one… ever really heard what I meant."**
His legs dangled over the ledge.
As if waiting to fall—
yet somehow still holding on.
Because he… had already fallen long ago.
Red shoes on his feet.
Dusty. Scuffed.
But still shining.
Around one wrist—a frayed, worn bandage.
The other arm was hidden beneath a tattoo that coiled like a serpent in the night,
stretching from his hand to his shoulder,
a silent scream of fate etched into his skin.
But most of all—
his eyes.
Emerald green.
And no longer bright.
Sharp as poison.
Distant as ice.
Deep as solitude.
Suddenly, he looked up.
Not at the sky.
Not at the stars.
But at the past.
A mother’s smile…
Hands pretending to comfort.
Yet the trembling truth beneath those palms still burned in his hands.
> **"The first one to break me… was my mother."**
**"The day she fell silent… was when it all began."**
**"To protect herself… she gave me away."**
His voice didn’t rise.
Because he wasn’t screaming.
Because even pain had gone quiet now.
Shadows of the Past: Childhood's Silent Cries for Help**
A classroom.
A laugh.
A shoulder.
A bag falls to the floor.
A small child hurts his fingers as he gets up.
Red shoes.
A crumpled notebook.
*"I'm fine,"* he says.
*"It's nothing."*
But his eyes are screaming.
No one hears.
> *"I said so many things,"*
*"But no one understood."*
*"Because I wasn’t speaking the right words—I was staring with broken eyes."*
*"Begging. To be seen. To be held. To be saved."*
*"But everyone… looked away."*
The child on UA’s rooftop tilts his head slightly.
A drop of blood trickles from his nose.
Mingles with his tears.
And glows.
So bright…
It’s as if all the stars on earth are streaming from his eyes.
> *"They... didn’t understand me."*
*"They saved their dreams instead of me."*
> *"And I...*
*"Silently carried the weight of all of us."*
Another gust of wind.
The child’s silhouette trembles.
But he doesn’t fall.
> *"I was the sacrifice."*
*"But that doesn’t absolve anyone’s sins."*
*"It just... reminds them of the game’s true rules."*
### **The Whisper of the True Sacrifice**
The wind tosses the child’s hair.
A drop of blood falls from the tip of his nose.
Merges with a tear.
And in that moment, the night ignites.
As moonlight passes over him,
even his shadow shudders.
> *"I survived the war."*
*"But I wasn’t saved."*
*"I’m still there."*
*"Sacrificed."*
*"Abandoned."*
*"And then forgotten."*
> *"But now...*
*"I’m not the sacrifice anymore."*
*"I am... their punishment."*
He lifts his chin slowly.
Not toward the stars—
but what lies behind them.
---
### **Final Image**
And there, just beneath the sky,
the child in red shoes closes his eyes.
But behind those closed lids—
a thousand broken promises,
a hundred thousand silent screams,
and a past that will never be forgiven
are hidden.
And from his lips falls only one word:
> *"The way they came...*
*"They will one day go."*
*"But this time—*
*"I’ll be watching."*
---
### **⚖️ SCENE: "The Rising 11, The Falling Throne"**
### **🏛️ Commission Headquarters – Crisis Room**
The emergency lights flickered a harsh blue.
Every screen buzzed with static.
Every comm line was dead.
At the center of the system—the Commission President, hunched forward in her throne-like chair, dragged her hands down her face.
She was dressed like a general.
But her expression was that of an executioner whose mask had slipped.
Her scream shattered across the monitors:
> *"HOW DID THEY ESCAPE—WITH ONE OF THEM INJURED!?"*
*"THEY WERE ALL IN POWER-SUPPRESSING CUFFS!"*
Her secretaries, security chiefs, surveillance operators—all slid a single blood-red report file toward her:
**"11-TARGET FILE: STOLEN IN FULL."**
**"UNDERGROUND TUNNEL HATCH DETONATED."**
**"MESSAGE LEFT ON ADMIN FLOOR... WRITTEN ON THE WALL."**
The President took the file.
Her hands shook.
But blood seeped from her nailbeds—not from clenching, but because her nails were gone.
Another agent brought the security photo.
The words Katsuki Bakugou had painted in red…
They seemed to blast straight through the wall:
> *"YOU THOUGHT YOU SILENCED US."*
*"YOU WERE WRONG."*
> *"YOU FORGOT US."*
*"WE CAME TO REMIND YOU."*
> *"YOUR CHAINS ARE BROKEN."*
> *"NOW IT'S OUR TURN."*
> *"VENGEANCE."*
*"JUSTICE."*
*"THE RISING 11 STARS."*
The President dropped the paper.
Her pupils dilated.
For the first time, she collapsed to her knees.
Because while the public might still be asleep—the system was broken.
Something had seeped into its foundations.
And now, it was rotting from within.
> *"We made them stars… and they returned with the SUN,"* she whispered.
Deep in the Commission’s darkest chambers, the Star Project’s coordination files were being erased.
Someone inside was shutting it all down.
But it was too late.
### **📣 ANNOUNCEMENT CRACKLED THROUGH THE ROOM:**
> *"Madam President—the public has seen the wall."*
*"It leaked to the press."*
*"Millions now know... the 11 Stars have returned."*
The President’s gaze locked onto the wall.
Onto Katsuki’s bullet-sharp letters.
> *"They’re not heroes anymore..."*
*"They’re revolutionaries."*
Chapter 39: **"THE 11 STARS RISE: A KINGDOM BUILT ON LIES CRUMBLES IN RED"**
Summary:
They thought they silenced us...**
**But our whispers now roar with the voice of the storm
**"We are no longer afraid.**
**Because the resurrection of a silenced people**
**Is the loudest silence history has ever heard."**
⚜️📢
Chapter Text
And the People Spoke in Red."**
On the dawn of a revolution.
The city was born silent that morning.
But this silence was not born of fear—it was the breath of a voice about to rise.
Light seeped through broken windows, bending as if to touch the cracks in the walls,
while the night's dew pooled on the asphalt, trembling, waiting for footsteps.
And then, the moment came.
In the city square, a screen flickered to life.
An old news board, one that usually went unnoticed.
But this time… this time, the screen awoke with a battle cry:
**"YOU THOUGHT YOU SILENCED US.
YOU WERE WRONG."**
> **"YOU FORGOT US.
WE HAVE COME TO REMIND YOU."**
> **"THEY SHATTERED YOUR CHAINS."**
> **"NOW IT'S OUR TURN."**
> **"VENGEANCE.
JUSTICE.
THE RISING 11 STARS."**
**"ACT ONE HAS ENDED.
THOSE ON STAGE ARE NO LONGER SIDE CHARACTERS.
NOW IT'S OUR TURN—THE 11 STARS."**
**-GROUND ZERO-**
> *"You thought we were dead. But no one died.
We’ve returned. And we are your nightmare."*
**– The 11 Stars –**
This was not just a sentence.
It was the first echo of a scream suppressed in chests for years.
Elderly men walking under streetlights paused.
Children rushing to school slowed.
Couriers, workers, teachers, cleaners, nurses, street vendors…
One by one, they lifted their heads.
As if the words had been written across the sky.
And everyone took their share.
**An Old Woman:**
She sat on a bench.
Her trembling hands tightened around her cane.
> *"My grandson…
Was supposed to get a 'Commission Scholarship.'
They said he’d become a hero…
Then… not even his body came back."*
And in that moment, the words slipped from her lips:
> *"So… that’s how it was."*
**A Crane Operator:**
For years, he had looked down on this city from above.
But never had he felt so *"below"* as he did now.
He let go of the control panel and stared at the screen.
Turning to the young worker beside him:
> *"Heroism isn’t about the uniform."*
*"Courage… is sometimes daring to be called a criminal."*
**A Student:**
He pulled a notebook from his bag.
Its name erased, its pages crumpled,
but in the corner, a small drawing remained:
A red shoe.
A bandage.
And a snake tattoo.
At the bottom of the page, an old note was scribbled:
> *"If everyone stops speaking, whispers will guide the way."*
**The Protest Begins:**
First, it appeared on a wall:
*"The stars have returned."*
Then in a park…
On the side of a bus…
A man lifted his child onto his shoulders,
tracing a shape in the sky with his hands:
*"11 stars."*
And in that moment:
The streets found their voice.
Spray-paint became whispers.
Slogans turned to song.
The people… began to speak.
The fear of *"being watched"* gave way to the defiance of *"we are watching too."*
📡 **LIVE BROADCASTS:**
> *"Leaked documents reveal the Commission took children from their families."*
*"Was Midoriya Izuku—once a student, son of the legendary All Might, and the hero Deku—a victim of a special project?"*
*"Volunteers flood the streets to join the 11 Stars."*
*"The words 'Ground Zero' carved boldly beneath the graffiti—proof of their open war against the Commission?"*
The city was no longer silent.
But this sound was not of fear—it was the sound of awakening.
People looking out their windows sensed something had changed.
As someone had written:
> *"If the sacred rot, new stars will rise."*
And someone...
had scrawled on a wall:
> *"We don’t need heroes.
We need the truth.
And at last, the truth has whispered."*
---
### **The Fall of the Commission**
**The President’s Office, Between Shadow and Storm**
The President of the Commission stood in his vast, cold office.
Outside the window, the city lay dark and quiet. But inside him, storms raged.
His eyes were locked on the news feed.
Every word, every image, burned deeper into him.
> *"Ground Zero…
That damned brat!
How dare he humiliate us like this?"*
His words were choked, almost breathless.
Rage and fear tangled in his voice.
He wrestled with the darkness inside himself.
Time was running out.
As the red letters flashed on-screen:
> *"This… this disgrace… This betrayal…
The scandal that will bury the Commission’s name…
It will never be forgiven!"*
His fists slammed onto the desk.
The calculations in his mind dissolved,
leaving only fury.
But fury was beginning to consume him.
With every second, he crumbled further, drowning in dread.
Because he knew:
> *"This is only the beginning."*
The silence echoing off the walls was the sound of his helplessness.
With every breath, he suffocated under the ruins of the empire he had built.
*"Ground Zero…
That boy isn’t just a threat—he’s a nightmare. Just like Deku was, years ago. How did I not see this sooner? We silenced one voice, but it wasn’t enough.
And worse…
The traitors are already among us."*
He drew a sharp breath.
His eyes glistened, but he fought to hide it.
This was the fall of a leader.
**On the Brink of Collapse**
His hands clutched the sides of his head,
pressing against the cold surface of the desk.
His teeth ground together.
And then came the moment—
the moment he could no longer hold back,
when despair overflowed.
> *"They’re going to destroy us.
This war… is almost over.
We… are falling."*
**The Storm Rising in the Dark**
The President sank to his knees in the shadows of his office.
His eyes closed, but one thought remained:
> *"Ground Zero… And your damned 10 stars. I must stop you. Or else… it all ends."*
And in that moment, the Commission’s colossal structure began to crack from within.
The foundations of the great empire trembled.
---
### **Cold Rooms, Dark Hallways**
In the Commission’s high-security building, the silence of night shattered under blaring alarms.
Quick footsteps echoed through shadowed corridors as panicked officials rushed about.
> *"Reports coming in!
All 11 targets… have escaped the Commission’s hold!
The documents—they’re all leaked!"*
Rooms filled with screams of panic and terror.
Staff scrambled to follow emergency protocols, but it was too late.
In the surveillance room, lights flickered as shouts erupted:
> *"What do we do? This… this is a catastrophe!"*
*"The information leak—how will the public react?"*
*"A press conference? These people will destroy us completely!"*
*"Mr. President, what are your orders?"*
The President stared at the screens, his face twitching with unrestrained fury.
Every update on the escape of the heroes tightened the noose around his nerves.
> *"The situation is out of control!
There are traitors among us… moles inside our ranks!
Find them. Eliminate them. Or else…
This institution—this world—will collapse!"*
Whispers spread everywhere.
Trust had evaporated.
Suspicion poisoned every glance.
> *"Who is the traitor?"*
*"Who orchestrated this leak?"*
*"Someone inside the Commission has betrayed us!"*
The walls themselves seemed to whisper back:
**The fall had already begun
The People's Outrage Wears Down the Commission**
The leaked escape footage broadcasted in the media had exploded across social media.
Protests erupted in the streets—the people roared, screaming the Commission’s crimes for the world to hear.
Inside the Commission, the situation grew even worse.
> *"They've destroyed us!*
*The people are marching against us!*
*We can't afford to waste another second!"*
### **The Last Resort: Suppression and Control**
In their panic, they resorted to extreme measures.
Operations accelerated, discipline tightened.
But the harder they pressed, the stronger the resistance grew—both from the people and the heroes.
The fear and panic within the Commission were omens of their downfall.
And this collapse would soon spread across the entire world.
---
### **A Cold and Gloomy Night**
On the nation’s largest news network, a live broadcast suddenly cut in.
The screens went dark—then, a deep silence before a red light flickered to life.
And there, seated in the shadow of a throne, was that mysterious boy.
The cameras slowly focused on him, revealing masked allies gathered around a long table behind him.
Shigaraki’s dark silhouette, Himiko Toga’s sly grin, and among the shadows—the Fallen Hero, a petite girl with pink hair, fingers dancing over a keyboard, tearing through the darkest secrets: **La Brava.** Beside her stood a man with sharp, kohl-lined eyes—**Gentle Criminal.**
Each one a mystery.
Each one a shadow.
All arranged around the boy like pieces on a chessboard.
The boy smirked, cold and mocking, his voice deep and threatening—each word a blade carving into memory.
> *"Hero Commission… You still think this game is under your control.*
*But the wheels of time have already begun to turn.*
*The people are waking up.*
*Their eyes are open.*
*And it seems… we are the ones who will shatter the game you’ve played in the shadows for years."*
His eyes burned with a venomous green, like a serpent patiently stalking its prey.
Then, one of his allies projected a classified document onto the screen—
A secret the Commission had buried for years, now exposed beyond denial.
The boy reached out slowly, fingertips brushing a chess piece.
It moved with a whisper.
> *"The 11 Stars… are rising.*
*The mask of justice is falling.*
*Soon, this throne—and all of you—will be lost to the dark pages of history."*
The broadcast cut to footage of the riots in the streets.
Fires raged. Every breath was a cry for freedom.
And that chilling voice roared across the nation:
> *"The people are waking!*
*They will no longer stay silent!*
*The Commission’s lies—their masks—are crumbling one by one!*
*This… is the beginning of a new revolution!"*
As cities drowned in darkness, a new light was born.
Though the faces around the throne were masked, their eyes burned—
**Fearless. Unshaken.**
And the boy laughed again, cold and sharp, piercing millions of hearts:
> *"I built this game.*
*And I will be the one to end it."*
At that moment, inside the Commission’s central headquarters—
**All the lights went out.**
In the suffocating silence, a new image flickered across the giant screens:
The throne’s master stood alone in the heart of the dark corridors.
His serpentine gaze seemed to make the entire building tremble.
And with a voice like ice, he declared:
> *"Ground Zero…*
*Along with the remaining 10 Stars,*
*You will bring about your own downfall.*
*This empire you built in the shadows—*
*This is its end."*
He stepped toward his throne, each footfall a declaration of war.
The shadows around him bowed in silent obedience.
> *"Commission…*
*You are the rotting remnants of history.*
*But in my game…*
*I know exactly who will win."*
His voice thundered through the halls like a storm.
> *"Those who dream of defeating me…*
*Only prepare their own ruin.*
*Because I am the child of chaos and disorder.*
*You cannot defeat me.*
*I will destroy you."*
The masked allies let out silent, mocking laughs—
Each one savoring this venomous triumph.
And as the boy’s fingers shifted the chess pieces, whispering the codes of a new war:
> *"Ground Zero… and the 10 Stars.*
*This… will be your end."*
On the streets, crowds gathered, banners raised, voices screaming—
**"Justice!"**
Each cry a herald of the Commission’s ruin.
The boy smirked once more.
> *"Oh, heroes…*
*Your road is long.*
*But in the end…*
*Only one will rise."*
Amid the smoke rising into the sky—
A new act of war and betrayal had begun.
And everyone knew:
**Tonight, the darkness would grow deeper.**
The throne’s master took a slow breath.
His poisonous glare sharpened—as if the fire inside him could burn the world.
Standing in the center of that vast hall, he roared the words that would shake the Commission’s heart:
> *"You think yourself a king, Commission President.*
*But remember—*
*A throne only accepts a true ruler when forged in the echoes of the past.*
*This throne is mine.*
*Because I… am everything you forgot, suppressed, and ignored."*
With the world’s eyes locked onto him, his words struck like daggers:
> *"When the truth comes to light…*
*The Commission’s rotten structure will collapse.*
*And then…*
*I will shine.*
*Because this game is over.*
*And the real war… begins now."*
As the stage lights faded, the boy retreated into the shadows.
Only one message remained, echoing across the screens:
> *"This is my answer to Ground Zero’s declaration of war:*
*War is not just the clash of weapons.*
*The true battle is the silent struggle—*
*Between hope and despair.*
*Between truth and lies.*
*We, who were left in the Commission’s shadow…*
*We are the voices they tried to silence.*
*This fight is not just for our bodies…*
*But for our souls.*
*And remember—*
*Even if a structure crumbles…*
*Hope never dies.*
*Because we…*
*Are the stars that shine in the dark.*
*And those stars…*
*Are now rising."*
The words reverberated through the Commission’s core like a storm.
Their president, cornered with every step, felt the darkness closing in.
And the master of the throne—
**The new king born from the shadows—**
Now stood unchallenged.
---
### **Chaos Ignites**
The moment the screens went dark, the city streets erupted into flames.
Thousands poured into the streets, hearts blazing with fury and hope.
**"Justice!"** they screamed. **"Revolution!"** they chanted.
The people—silenced for years, trampled, exhausted—**finally raised their voices.**
They demanded freedom.
They demanded **true heroism.**
To them, that mysterious figure on the throne was no longer just a man.
He was a legend.
A symbol of hope—the one who would open the gates to a new era.
**"We will tear down the Commission’s doors!"**
The slogan spread like wildfire, echoing on every wall, in every heart.
Amid the chaos, the heroes stood firm—weary but unbroken.
They knew this was only the beginning.
A fire long suppressed now burned inside them.
This was no longer just a duty.
**This was a war for hope itself.**
The cries rising to the sky were more than just calls for freedom.
They were the sound of chains breaking.
The people’s voices intertwined with the heroes’ hearts—
**Becoming the bond that held them together.**
This moment…
Was the dawn of a new world.
Chapter 40: Echoes of the Fallen & Where Stars Burn Out
Summary:
Remember this:**
The most powerful explosions
Are born from the deepest silences.
You're still fighting with noise...
While revolutions come on *whispers*."****"Run along now, little king...
Let's see how many steps you take before your throne crumbles."**-Fallen Hero-
🍷🐍👑
Chapter Text
The hospital room was dominated by silence. White walls, cold lights, and the rhythmic hum of machines—everything seemed to slow the passage of time. Shoto had fallen into a deep sleep, his consciousness suspended on the thin line between dreams and reality.
Meanwhile, in the adjacent room, Touya turned on the hospital TV with the remote in his hand. On the screen, the chaos unleashed by the throne’s owner—that mysterious child—was on full display. The images flooding the media channels exposed society’s deepest wounds, shattering the people’s trust. Uprisings spread like wildfire through every corner, every street, like an earthquake tearing through the world.
Touya smiled faintly—a smile that carried not warmth, but a dark satisfaction. "A complete madman," he murmured to himself. "But... this madman will expose society’s deepest fears. And perhaps, that will force them to truly wake up."
His eyes remained locked on the chaotic scenes. He could see the magnitude of the destruction, yet he also knew this turmoil was only the first act in the throne’s occupant’s plans. The mad child wasn’t just creating chaos—he was sowing the seeds of the future. And soon, those seeds would grow, swallowing everyone whole.
Touya slowed his steps in the dim hospital hallway, the flickering light of the TV casting shadows on his face. The chaos on the screen, the screams of the people, their explosive rage—it all merged into a single, raging storm.
He muttered to himself, his voice laced with a dark amusement:
*"Ah… Seems I missed the grand spectacle. But this is just a game—a chess match. The pieces are moving, but the real plays are still hidden."*
On the screen, the throne’s owner appeared, his snake tattoo and bandaged arm on full display as he watched the turmoil unfold. His gleaming red shoes seemed to dance amidst flames.
Touya couldn’t tear his eyes away from that enigmatic figure—it was as if the boy knew everything in advance, as if every move had been calculated long ago. In the depths of his mind, he whispered:
*"Forget the king’s vaults. The throne only accepts true kings—those who rise from the shadows of the past. They race against time, but the clock has already stopped ticking… Now, only whispers remain, riddles rise. And he… waits. For the next move."*
In the cold silence of the hospital room, the dark hope growing inside Touya flickered like a spark in the void. Fate’s tapestry continued to weave, yet no one knew who would emerge victorious when this game reached its end.
### **Prophecy 18: The Star and the Tree of Life**
Shoto walked with heavy steps toward the trunk of the colossal Tree of Life, time itself seeming frozen around him. A cold breath surrounded him as ice and fire danced together—the heat of flames clashing with the sharp bite of frost, twisting and turning in an invisible wind.
The tree’s bark bore the marks of an ancient tale; carved into its surface was a grand Yin and Yang symbol, encircled by a scale of justice—an emblem of eternal balance and struggle.
From the shadows, the throne’s owner appeared behind Shoto. His long, curly hair brushed against Shoto’s forehead as he leaned in, pressing a gentle kiss to his skin. In that moment, a wave of tranquil love washed over Shoto—a silent bond formed beyond words.
Shoto whispered, his voice soft as a breath:
*"Don’t leave me… It’s not time yet."*
The throne’s owner smiled faintly, his touch lingering on Shoto’s neck, refusing to let him turn away. Shoto’s eyes locked onto the symbols etched into the tree’s trunk.
The throne’s owner spoke, his voice almost a whisper:
*"This tree… is the knot of existence and void, light and darkness, strength and weakness.*
*In seeking balance, one side always wanes; another always grows.*
*This is a prophecy—that all things complete each other, yet never become whole..."*
He gestured for Shoto to look up. Among the branches stretching into the sky, eleven shadowed figures emerged, each gleaming like a star yet veiled in mystery.
Emblazoned on each figure’s chest was a radiant crest—each one symbolizing the heroes represented by the eleven stars.
Shoto watched, swallowing hard, his eyes glistening.
When he lifted his gaze higher, the eleven figures among the Tree of Life’s branches resembled a night woven from starlight. Their crests shimmered like the souls of warriors long gone.
The throne’s owner continued, his voice mystical:
*"This tree, keeper of balance, is also a symbol of fragility and strength.*
*Like the dance of ice and fire, opposites stand together.*
*And you… stand at the heart of that dance."*
*"They are the lost and found hopes…*
*Those who shine in the shadow of war…*
*And yet, stars that have lost their way…"* His voice held both admiration and sorrow.
Shoto’s eyes shifted to the figure standing on the highest branch—his back turned, but the gleam of his red shoes, the bandages on his arms, and the sharp details of his snake tattoo were unmistakable.
The man gazed at the sky, watching the eleven stars revolve around him.
In Shoto’s vision, seven dimmer stars spun slowly on lower branches—each one a story, a loss, whispering of hope’s fragility.
The throne’s owner took a deep breath, his whisper dark and heavy:
*"The road is long, the shadows deep…*
*But no star fades forever.*
*When the time comes, truths will be revealed.*
*And for none… is it too late."*
Shoto exhaled softly. Around him, the ice and fire performed one final dance before vanishing, leaving only the ancient serenity of the Tree of Life and the echo of the prophecy behind.
---
Shoto’s eyelids fluttered open. At first, the world was blurred, as if veiled in the mist of dreams—the image of the stars and the Tree of Life lingering in his mind like a frozen painting. He took a deep breath, the cold air filling his lungs, slowly grounding him back in reality.
His breathing was uneven; his chest rose and fell lightly, his heart still pulling itself back from that deep, mystic world. He lifted his hand weakly, wincing at the pain in his wrist and the reminder of the bandages wrapped around it. For a moment, he still felt like that boy with the red shoes—his hands scarred, yet his eyes sharp with emerald determination.
As he turned his head slightly, he saw Touya’s worried face beside him. His eyes weren’t fully open yet, but within them was a thin line between darkness and light. Touya silently touched Shoto’s forehead—a touch laden with years of protection and guilt.
Shoto whispered, his voice broken and quiet:
*"Aren’t we… too late?"*
Touya’s eyes glistened, but his answer was firm:
*"Not yet. We still have a long way to go. I’m here for you."*
Shoto tried to open his eyes wider, but the last words of his dream echoed in his mind:
*"It’s never too late… for anything."*
He paused, pain and hope twisting together inside him. The battle within him was far from over. But the presence of his friends around him was like a light in the dark.
Slowly, he opened his eyes fully, returning to the real world—and with it came a new surge of strength and courage.
The hospital room felt frozen in time.
Shoto, still not fully sitting up, stared ahead—his eyes open, but his soul lingering on the thin line where past and present intersected. His fingers clutched the edge of the blanket, the faint traces of his dream still reflected in his gaze.
And in the dark corner—a silhouette.
Touya, who had wandered the world like a ghost for years, was now real. He stood by his side. Silent. But his presence alone shifted the air in the room.
Shoto turned his head toward him. At first, he said nothing. Unnameable emotions swelled in his chest. But then, words spilled out—slow, trembling, fragmented.
*"You… why did you come back?"*
*"You were gone for years. Even when I was a child…"*
Touya looked at him with those burning blue eyes. The cracks on his cheeks like scars, the unhealed burns on his hands—but most of all, the cursed pride in his gaze: the kind that loved and destroyed in equal measure.
His voice was rough, yet resolute:
*"Sometimes… you have to disappear to protect someone, Shoto."*
*"But I failed. I couldn’t protect you… or myself."*
They stared at each other.
Two brothers.
Two children who had walked through different hells.
Shoto clenched his fists.
*"You left me in that house… in that man’s hands."*
*"You were my brother when I was a kid. Now… I don’t know what you are."*
Touya lowered his head.
For a moment, something passed between them—the echoes of the past resonating in their eyes. Then, a smile appeared on Touya’s face. A broken smile.
*"I’m still your brother."*
*"But now, it’s not just blood that binds us. It’s fate."*
The lights in the room flickered faintly.
Touya pulled out a folded piece of paper from his pocket—like a prophecy—and placed it on Shoto’s lap.
*"I know you saw this in your dream,"* he whispered.
*"The Tree of Life. The scales. Yin and Yang. They all point to you."*
Shoto looked at the paper. A hand-drawn tree. Stars in its branches, a scale of justice on its trunk. At the very top—a red shoe.
And Touya added:
*"You’re not just fire and ice, Shoto."*
*"You’re the balance between darkness and light. If that balance breaks… the stars will fade."*
Shoto swallowed the words caught in his throat.
He looked at Touya.
*"And you? Where do you stand in this balance?"*
Touya’s face twisted for a moment.
Then he turned away, leaving a riddle in the silence:
*"My place is on the edge of the shadows."*
*"But if the stars go dark… I can’t be the first one to burn you, little brother."*
And with that, he slipped out the door without a sound.
Shoto looked down at the paper in his hands once more. His eyes didn’t water. But somewhere in his heart, the scream of the child he’d left behind echoed once again.
The lights in the shelter were dim.
They stood far apart, yet gathered in the same room—yellow tape, bandages, exhausted bodies…
And a screen.
The news feed cut out abruptly.
Scrolling text flickered.
The anchor’s voice cracked.
> *"This is not… a broadcast interruption. This is… a declaration."*
Then, the image appeared.
A throne.
Behind it, an ancient, cracked wall—the ruins of what was once a hall symbolizing justice.
And a child.
His eyes veiled.
His face still hidden.
But his voice… like an echo, like a whispering prophecy:
> *"Justice.*
*You invoked its name the most…*
*And you were the ones who killed it."*
Uraraka held her breath.
*"Who… is this?"* she murmured, her voice barely a whisper.
Kaminari shielded his forehead with his fingers.
*"An… enemy? But… he speaks like he’s on our side."*
> *"When you shattered your heroes, you left the people behind.*
*When you forgot justice, we went underground.*
*Now… we take back the sky."*
For a moment, masked faces flickered behind the figure—Shigaraki. Toga. Other silhouettes.
They were shadows, but these shadows no longer carried darkness.
They stood like vengeance clawing its way out of the abyss.
Momo stood up.
*"This… is an open declaration of war against the Commission."*
Iida clenched his fist.
*"And… he’s supporting us."*
Jirou lifted her head.
*"No.*
*He might be using us."*
But her voice trembled. Because deep down, some part of her… wanted to believe.
> *"The heroes are about to fall.*
*But now, there’s a voice calling them back.*
*Someone who trusts them, watches over them…*
*Someone who forgives them."*
Bakugou turned his head away from the screen’s glare.
The fury inside him rose in waves.
*"He’s talking about us… but not in our words,"* he growled.
Then, the figure picked up a chess piece.
A queen.
Placed it at the center of the throne.
And smiled.
> *"You have 11 stars…*
*And I am nothing.*
*But sometimes… nothing is the last thing to ignite the sky."*
The screen went black.
Only echoes remained:
> *"Destruction is revolution. And I’ve already begun."*
Silence.
No one could speak.
Because in that moment, they all felt it—
There was someone out there changing the world.
And they still didn’t know who he was.
---
In the dim corner of the shelter, Katsuki Bakugou stood withdrawn, his eyes distant, storms raging inside him.
The faint sound of a TV echoed in the distance—national news channels blared the Commission’s accelerating collapse, the people rising in revolt, calls for revolution spreading everywhere. On the screen, the mysterious figure claiming to be the throne’s owner rallied the masses. Millions chanted *"Justice"* and *"Revolution"*—people who had been silenced, afraid, but never broken.
But Katsuki’s mind was elsewhere. The figure from his dreams flashed before his eyes—the boy who had set the world ablaze, the spark of an uprising that would change their fates. His nerves were fraying, the anger in his veins ready to explode at any moment.
Conflicting thoughts swirled in his head, crushing him under their weight:
*"Izuku… All Might’s son… All For One’s stepson… Shigaraki’s brother… It’s all tangled together."*
Betrayals leaked, intel breached the Commission, and worst of all—what had been done to Shoto…
But the heaviest burden was leaving Shoto with Touya.
It burned inside Katsuki like a silent wildfire—one side of him screaming *"I can’t abandon him,"* while the other faced helplessness head-on.
---
Just then, the Fallen Hero emerged unexpectedly in the shelter.
With a mocking smile and cold eyes, he stared at Katsuki.
*"You still don’t understand anything, do you?"* he whispered, his voice dripping with venom.
Katsuki, unable to control his fury, lunged and slammed him against the wall.
The Fallen Hero’s mask cracked, but his grin only sharpened—taunting, destructive.
A heavy silence fell over the shelter. The heroes’ hearts weighed down in unison.
The Fallen Hero had struck the most sensitive nerve—Katsuki’s rage and helplessness had reached their peak.
His hands trembled as he felt something inside him snap.
His eyes burned, a storm raging in his chest.
And that storm was about to become a hurricane in the enemy’s heart.
---
Katsuki’s fury echoed off the shelter’s cold walls, drowning out the others’ attempts to calm him.
*"Calm down, Katsuki…"* they urged, voices shaking, begging him to slow down.
But he heard none of them.
The fire flickering in his eyes screamed of the storm inside.
The Fallen Hero, still whispering, stood right in front of him with that mocking smile.
His voice, serpentine, dug into the deepest wounds—every word a riddle wrapped in mystery:
> *"Your pride, your rage, that wounded heart of yours…*
*They’re all chains. Shadows.*
*Like you’ve condemned your own soul,*
*Fighting yourself,*
*But you don’t even realize it…"*
Katsuki’s teeth clenched, his breathing ragged.
The Fallen Hero continued, voice laced with mockery and secrets:
> *"You’re lost in riddles,*
*Trapped in the labyrinth of your past…*
*Every step whispers secrets,*
*But you’re too afraid to solve them.*
*Those bandages, that snake…*
*No one can save you but yourself."*
The heroes slowly closed in around Katsuki.
They tried reaching into his darkest corners, but he rejected them all.
His anger stood like an impenetrable fortress, isolating him from the world.
The Fallen Hero, as if he knew Katsuki’s most hidden pains, kept playing with them:
> *"Remember—true freedom*
*Begins with realizing your chains…*
*And sometimes, the greatest enemy*
*Is the one hidden inside you."*
A single tear slipped from Katsuki’s eye.
But he hardened, fists tightening, refusing to let it show.
And the Fallen Hero’s riddles, whispered like dark incantations, tore open a new storm in his heart.
---
The Fallen Hero slipped free from Katsuki’s grip, retreating into the shadows.
His eyes gleamed with sharp mockery—like a riddle-box guarding the darkest secret, delighting in its torment.
> *"Ah, dear children…*
*Each of you is a stone,*
*Trying to build your own little kingdom.*
*But remember—stones only have meaning when they stand together.*
*Alone, they break too easily."*
The heroes exchanged glances, tension thick between them.
The Fallen Hero continued, each word meant to twist their minds, to confuse:
> *"The Commission’s end is near,*
*But you still don’t see…*
*The mysterious revolutionary—*
*He is no shadow. He is a storm.*
*He leaves no trace, yet changes everything.*
*So tell me… what will that storm tear away from you?"*
One hero demanded, *"Who is he? What does he want?"*
The Fallen Hero smirked.
> *"Another riddle…*
*Is he your savior?*
*Or your greatest enemy?"*
Then, turning to each hero, he whispered—like a private joke for each:
> *"Katsuki, you’ve lost your rage, but the snake still dances on your arm.*
*Kirishima, your friends are drenched in blood, yet you’re still chained to the past.*
*Hawks, you have wings, but no courage to fly.*
*Momo, you hold power, but stand alone.*
*And Katsuki… you dance with ghosts of the past,*
*But you’ve never known true freedom."*
He took one last step, resting his hand on the scattered documents on the table.
> *"Here’s the truth…*
*The secrets hiding in the dark*
*Aren’t your enemies—they’re in your own hands.*
*If you want to break the Commission’s game…*
*You must first face yourselves."*
And finally, his eyes gleaming with mockery, he said:
> *"But remember—the real battle begins now.*
*And none of us, not you nor I, can escape this fate."*
As the Fallen Hero vanished into the dark shadows, the silence he left behind was heavy and terrifying.
The heroes took a deep breath, feeling the magnitude of the storm awaiting them in their very bones.
---
As the heroes struggled to regroup under the shadow of the Fallen Hero’s cold taunts, some of them were consumed by unrestrained fear and uncertainty, while others sifted through the limited intel they had, seething with rage. They were trying to understand what secrets lay at the heart of the dagger plunged into the Commission—what truths would soon be exposed.
Katsuki’s hardened expression said it all: This wasn’t just another fight. What they had lost was a betrayal that cut deep.
In their hands were files—Commission documents detailing disappearances of families, prophecies manipulated through dreams, the fabricated *"Star Project,"* and more. Each document weighed on their hearts, expanding the scope of their responsibility.
*"You know what?"* Tsuyu murmured, echoing the Fallen Hero’s words. *"This is only the beginning. The Commission is rotten to the core, surrendered to darkness. And all we’re holding is the faintest glimpse of that shadow."*
Iida’s voice trembled as he asked, *"If these secrets come to light… what will the people do? Who bears the blame for all this destruction?"*
Katsuki slammed his fist onto one of the documents. *"Our job isn’t just to face them. It’s to make them feel their own fear, their regret, their ruin—with our own hands."*
As fear and rage intertwined within each of them, the Fallen Hero watched from afar with a sly smile—seeing the cracks forming in their souls.
In the shadows, the heroes stood on the brink of a great war.
And the knowledge in their hands was the sharpest blade they had.
Chapter 41: Ashes to Embers & No Stars Without Scars
Summary:
"What held us together wasn't heroism, but the truth that we bore the same scars...
Chapter Text
Heroes, weary but resolute, prepared for the final confrontation against the encroaching darkness.** In their hands were the stolen secrets from the Commission, but more importantly, they carried within them both hope and fear. They all knew this wasn’t just a battle—it was a reckoning with their own souls, a confrontation with the ghosts of their past.
Katsuki, despite the pain in his leg, spoke through gritted teeth:
*"Our mission is clear: we strike at the heart of the Commission and stop them there. But I… I’m still furious at myself for leaving Shoto behind. That’s why, here and now, in front of everyone, we settle the score. No one gets to play their twisted games right under our noses."*
Momo’s voice trembled but held firm:
*"For me… this isn’t just a fight—it’s a war for truth. We have to expose the Commission’s secrets and let the people know. But I’m afraid… those secrets might destroy us too. Still, we can’t back down."*
Kirishima was silent in the shadows, but his words cut deep:
*"We have to use our rage. To tear the Commission apart… we have to be destructive. But I have to keep the demon inside me in check. Otherwise, we’ll end up destroying more than just them."*
Uraraka spoke with worry in her eyes:
*"Sometimes… I feel so small and powerless. But if we don’t act, worse things will happen. We have to move together—hold onto each other."*
Iida, stern and disciplined:
*"Strategy is crucial. We infiltrate the Commission’s core, create chaos, and bring them down from within. But if we lose discipline, we lose everything we’re fighting for."*
Jirou, calm but warning:
*"We have to tread carefully. One wrong move, and there’s no going back. I’m not afraid, but we can’t afford recklessness."*
Mina, determination etched on her face:
*"We’ll expose the Commission’s true face. Wake the people up. But I’m scared… if we fail, who pays the price?"*
Denki, energetic but uneasy:
*"Our plan has to be fast. But the danger we’re in… it terrifies me. Still, we can’t give up."*
Sero, voice hopeful yet haunted:
*"We have to trust each other. We’ll dismantle the Commission’s schemes together. But that old fear still lingers in my heart—the fear of disappearing."*
Katsuki’s gaze swept over his comrades before he finished:
*"We’ll do this together. Losing isn’t an option. Not for ourselves, and not for those we’ve lost."*
A heavy silence fell. Each of them stood alone with their fears and hopes. But the bond between them would carry them forward. The darkness within could only be vanquished if they fought as one.
---
The dimly lit hideout was thick with silence as everyone wrestled with their inner storms. Then Hawks stepped forward, his usual smirk gone, replaced by a grim weight.
He placed a dark blue file on the table. A single word was embossed on its dusty cover:
***"LOST PROTOCOL"***
Hawks’ voice was barely a whisper, but the tension in it filled the room:
*"I found this in one of the Commission’s darkest vaults. It’s the kind of secret the public was never meant to know… And maybe one we were never meant to uncover."*
Katsuki limped forward, his bandaged leg protesting. When his fingers brushed the file, a faint hum seemed to rise from it. The others gathered slowly. Momo, struggling to mask her unease, asked:
*"What… is this about, Hawks?"*
Hawks hesitated before flipping the file open. Inside were yellowed pages, sealed photographs, and documents marked in red ink—each weathered but undeniably damning. Names, locations, underground labs, unsanctioned hero projects… and one more phrase:
***"BETA-13 / Isolated Specimen: H.K-0Z"***
Uraraka’s eyes widened. Denki took a step back.
*"What does this mean?"* Iida asked carefully. *"A specimen…? Is this a person?"*
Hawks nodded.
*"A person. But not anymore. The Commission’s… *alternatives* for ‘problems’ that needed solving. Former heroes—or those who could’ve been. Sometimes… just children who thought differently."*
Silence.
Katsuki’s grip on the file tightened, his knuckles whitening. His eyes locked onto a sketch—a familiar silhouette. A child walking through shadows, one hand wrapped in bandages, the other marked with a curling tattoo…
*"This…"* Katsuki whispered. *"This kid… I know him. *We* know him."*
Hawks nodded.
*"We do. But we still don’t know his name. All we know is… he was a victim. And the Commission didn’t burden him with justice—just silence."*
Denki swallowed hard.
*"What do we do with this?"*
Katsuki closed his eyes. Then he lifted his head, his gaze burning with familiar fire—rage, regret, but also a flicker of resolve.
*"We expose it. All of it."*
Jirou added quietly:
*"But is the world ready to hear it?"*
Katsuki shrugged.
*"I don’t care if they’re ready. Because we… can’t stay silent anymore."*
And so, in that dim hideout, the decision was made. That day, they didn’t just take another file from the table—they declared another war. This time, a war waged with words, truths, and buried memories. And every one of them knew there was no turning back.
Yet they still looked ahead. Because even in the deepest darkness, there was still a light burning:
**The truth
**Under the dim lights of the room**, the young child toyed with an old puzzle in his hands—a small, intricate mechanism of interlocking gears, tiny spheres, and delicate wires. It was like a mystery that bent time itself.
His fingers traced each piece carefully, murmuring to himself as he unraveled their connections:
*"Everything is a game… But everyone thinks they’re moving their own pieces. Meanwhile, I—the one who owns the board—can see the moves before they’re made."*
Slowly, he pried the puzzle open, revealing its secrets step by step. The thrill in his eyes fed on the allure of unsolved riddles.
*"The documents Hawks brought… the fragments hidden within those dark stories… It’s like a code only I can decipher. Because every mystery is just a knot waiting to be untied."*
He paused, smiling faintly.
*"Once, there was a child who ran in red shoes. His hands wrapped in bandages… Was he a victim of fate? Or the master of his own game?"*
As the final piece clicked into place, a soft *tick* echoed through the room. A flash of light flickered in his eyes—like a whispered secret he’d kept buried for years.
*"The rules of the game are changing… And now, the veil of secrets is lifting."*
His voice dissolved into the room’s shadows, yet it seemed to echo:
*"In this world, there’s no place for those who see the truth but stay silent. I… am the one who will change everything."*
With the puzzle in hand, this child—who calculated the future’s moves—was no longer just a player.
**He was the architect rewriting the game itself.**
---
The dim lights flickered as silence clung to the room, broken only by the child’s steady breaths. His fingers still danced over the cold metal of the puzzle, each gear and wire weaving new meaning into the tangled web in his mind.
On the screen before him, multiple windows flashed:
- The people’s uprising.
- The Commission’s shadowy **"Stormcrow"** operations.
- The fractured **"Ten Stars"**, scrambling to regroup.
He whispered to himself:
*"Revolutions… Every outburst of rage, every street protest—just pieces on the board. No matter how fierce they seem, they’re just fragments of the grand design."*
His fingers teased out another piece of the puzzle, and with it, another fragment of understanding clicked into place.
*"Stormcrow… A black eagle lurking in the Commission’s shadow. Beneath its wings lie lost hopes. But its true wings are guided by hidden hands."*
A pause. His gaze fixed on the exhausted, desperate faces of the Ten Stars’ leaders on-screen.
*"The Ten Stars… A shattered fortress still struggling to stand. But it’s not a fortress—it’s a labyrinth. Each star is bound by the dark secrets it hides. The real knot lies there."*
He closed the puzzle with a soft *click* and exhaled. His voice, for the first time, carried unwavering resolve:
*"Rebellions, shadows, and broken kingdoms—all woven together. My move isn’t just shifting pieces. It’s rebuilding the board… with new rules. A new game."*
On the screen, the flames of revolt grew. The Commission scrambled to contain **Stormcrow**. The Ten Stars stood battered but defiant.
And the child?
**He held the truth behind all this chaos.**
One last whisper escaped him:
*"Every piece hides a secret. Every move casts a shadow. Only I can write the ending."*
As the sky outside drowned in silence, the puzzle gleamed once more in his hands—because he was no longer just a player.
**He was the unseen hand shaping the game.**
---
**Under the dim lights, an old puzzle in his hands…**
*Gears whispering the secrets of time,*
*And in his eyes—the riddles yet unsolved.*
His fingers wove an intricate dance through the wires,
And to himself, he murmured:
*"Everyone thinks they move their own pieces…*
*But I am the ghost who sees the moves before they’re made."*
On the screen, flames rose. Distant screams echoed.
The Commission’s **Stormcrow** spread its wings in the dark.
And the **Ten Stars** searched for a path in a shattered sky.
The child smiled like a whispered secret:
*"Once, a child ran in red shoes…*
*Bandages on his hands, scars on his soul.*
*Was he the storm’s victim? Or its master?"*
A pause. A breath like the wind slipping through silence.
*"Every scream is a piece. Every piece, a door.*
*But the real door lies hidden in the labyrinth of shadows."*
A soft *click* from the corner of the room.
Shadows shifted—as if watching him back.
*"I’m being watched…*
*But remember—I am the game’s architect.*
*When the knot unravels, the light behind the curtain will shine."*
**Final move.** The puzzle clicked one last time.
*"The rules are changing…*
*And I am no longer just a piece.*
*I am the mystery pulsing at the board’s heart."*
As the dim lights faded, one secret remained—
The first line of an unsolvable riddle…
---
**The shadow sat motionless in the dark.**
The puzzle had gone silent.
Its gears had settled, its secrets whispered.
But this was only the beginning.
On the screen, three windows still flickered:
- The people’s uprising.
- **Stormcrow**, spreading its wings.
- The **Ten Stars**, fractured yet reaching for each other.
The child stood slowly.
A tablet lit up before him—an ancient symbol glowing under his fingertips.
A green-rimmed circle, a serpent coiling around it, an eye-like void at its center…
He spoke softly, yet the universe seemed to listen:
*"The serpent watches in silence…*
*But when the time comes, it does not bite.*
*It sheds its skin—and changes the world."*
His fingers arranged a sequence.
Symbols. Words. An encrypted message.
Its destination was unknown, but its purpose was clear:
**To wake one. To move another. To test the last.**
*"The knot is finally loosening…*
*Timelines bending.*
*The ghost of the past will touch the founder of the future."*
His eyes turned to the screen one final time.
It flashed—then plunged into darkness.
**"A Breath Among the Ashes"**
The pale hospital light seeped through his eyelids as he stirred.
The room was silent—but the voices echoing inside him were not.
*"There was someone in the flames…*
*Night in their eyes, time turning to ash at their fingertips."*
When he turned his head, a figure appeared by the window.
**Touya.**
He spoke softly:
*"Awake now, little brother?*
*It’s time. You need to go where they’re waiting for you."*
Shoto squinted, voiceless.
He stood. Followed. Barefoot, shivering—but uncaring.
The halls were silent, as if the world itself held its breath.
He trailed Touya’s footsteps until time itself twisted.
The walls around them were no longer a hospital—just shadows.
An old building? UA’s ruins? He couldn’t tell.
Touya stopped. Before them loomed a heavy, sealed door.
Behind it—familiar voices. A murmur of chaos.
*"Go in, Shoto. They’re not just heroes anymore.*
*They’re stars clawing their way out of the wreckage.*
*And you… you’re one of them."*
When the door opened, ten silhouettes stood inside—
scarred as the ruined world outside, yet still carrying light.
And as Shoto stepped forward, **he breathed for the first time in years.**
Somewhere far away, a child’s fingers brushed a new puzzle.
**The game had begun.**
---
### **The Shattered Heroes**
The door creaked open, dust-moted light spilling across the room.
Every head turned. Every breath stilled.
Shoto Todoroki stepped inside—
shoulders slumped, wounds bandaged, but **alive.**
Uraraka’s tea cup trembled, liquid spilling.
Jirou shut her eyes, head bowing.
Yaoyorozu’s lips parted—no words came.
Mina whispered, voice breaking:
*"Shoto…"*
A tear fell.
Iida stood, stiff-backed, then spoke through a tremor:
*"Welcome back."*
And in the corner—back against the wall—**Katsuki.**
He turned his head slightly.
A flicker of light in his eyes. But no words.
Shoto took a step toward him.
Their gazes locked, and for a heartbeat, the past flooded back:
Crumbling dorms. Bloodied battlefields. Lost hope.
And most of all—**Izuku.**
Katsuki’s hands curled into fists unconsciously.
His jaw clenched, but his voice **cracked** when he finally spoke:
*"Took you long enough, Icyhot."*
Mocking, yet raw.
His eyes betrayed what he’d spent years burying:
**Love. Loss. Rage. And above all—loneliness.**
Shoto didn’t look away.
*"I know."*
The room drowned in silence.
No one wept—but every gaze burned.
Katsuki took one step. Then another.
Until he stood before Shoto.
A beat of hesitation—
Then, **unthinking, unguarded**, he yanked Shoto into a crushing embrace.
His body shook with the effort to stay steady.
*"Couldn’t lose you too…"*
A whisper—but everyone heard.
Because they’d all lost someone. **Many someones.**
And in that moment, they understood:
**Survivors weren’t just those who kept fighting.**
**They were the ones who could still feel each other.**
Shoto’s return wasn’t just one more soul pulled from the dark.
It was the **first breath** of something beginning again.
---
### **Voices of the Broken**
🟣 **Ochako Uraraka**
*"We lost so much. Said so little.*
*Seeing Shoto’s face—it unraveled everything I’d locked away.*
*Him being alive… It’s not a miracle.*
*It’s proof there’s still something worth fighting for.*
*Izuku’s eyes used to look like that…*
*Maybe somewhere, he’s still—*
*No. No.*
*I need to join that hug. Because we’re still breathing."*
🟢 **Tenya Iida**
*"Posture. Honor. Duty.*
*I repeated them like a mantra.*
*But here, now…*
*The only thing keeping me upright is knowing I’m not alone.*
*Shoto’s back. Katsuki’s crying.*
*And I just realized—my knees are shaking.*
*I want forgiveness. For them. For myself.*
*I want to start over."*
🔴 **Momo Yaoyorozu**
*"I strategized for years. Drew maps of war.*
*But no blueprint can patch a shattered heart.*
*Shoto wasn’t just my teammate…*
*He was a piece of me.*
*Now Katsuki, of all people—*
*Is fragility contagious?*
*Then let it be. I need to touch them. Prove warmth still exists."*
🟡 **Mina Ashido**
*"It’s been so long…*
*I remember our old laughter.*
*The nights we stargazed at camp.*
*Then screams. Blood. Silence.*
*Seeing Shoto—the girl I used to be wanted to sprint to him.*
*And Katsuki…*
*Him shedding his armor to hug someone?*
*I need to be there too. This time, I won’t hold back."*
🟠 **Denki Kaminari**
*"I don’t have the energy for jokes anymore.*
*But Shoto walking in…*
*It sparked something dead in me.*
*And Katsuki hugging him?*
*That’s something else.*
*I’ve never seen him like this.*
*It’s real. No lies. No performance.*
*I need to be there. We don’t need lightning to connect."*
🔵 **Kyoka Jirou**
*"I’ve always kept my ears open.*
*But silence hurt the most.*
*This time, I heard Shoto’s footsteps.*
*Heavy. Tired. But alive.*
*And Katsuki’s voice breaking—*
*It sounded like the last note of a song.*
*I want to stay in this music.*
*We’re not alone… Right?"*
🟢 **Tsuyu Asui**
*"I stayed calm. Always.*
*But the lake inside me isn’t still anymore.*
*Ripples, everywhere.*
*When Shoto entered…*
*Tears fell before I noticed.*
*And Katsuki’s embrace—*
*Like lightning striking water.*
*We need to move. Share the silence."*
🔴 **Eijiro Kirishima**
*"I wanted to be unbreakable.*
*But even rock cracks with time.*
*Seeing Shoto…*
*Light bled through my fractures.*
*And Katsuki—*
*Brother.*
*When he hugged him, I thought:*
*Maybe we can still stand together.*
*So let’s stand."*
🟤 **Hanta Sero**
*"I was always background noise.*
*The tape holding everyone together.*
*But now I wonder—*
*Were our laughs ever real?*
*Or just a way to hide the pain?*
*Shoto’s arrival shifted the world.*
*The ground moved. Time bent.*
*I couldn’t speak.*
*But when Katsuki pulled him close—*
*I understood.*
*What really binds us isn’t words.*
*It’s knowing without speaking.*
*Now…*
*It’s my turn.*
*Even invisible, I’m still part of this circle.*
*I need to step forward."*
💥 **Katsuki Bakugou**
*"Everything burned.*
*When the silence came, only one voice remained in my skull.*
***Izuku.***
*You left. I was done.*
*But now…*
*He came back.*
*Shoto came back.*
*At first, it was small.*
*A shadow. Then it grew. Choked me.*
*I didn’t want to hug him.*
*Felt like weakness.*
*But the kid inside me won.*
*There’s still a scream in me.*
*Seeing Shoto—it turned to tears.*
*But I didn’t cry.*
*I just…*
*Let go. For once.*
*Someone caught me.*
*For the first time in years."*
❄️🔥 **Shoto Todoroki**
*"I didn’t return.*
*I was just… found.*
*Walking through that door, one fear consumed me:*
*Would they still want me?*
*I hadn’t forgotten the hands that pushed me away.*
*But now…*
*Katsuki’s arm around my shoulders.*
*And I realized—*
***I’m still here.***
*My father’s shadow. Touya’s silence.*
*And… his absence.*
*They’re all still inside me.*
*But something changed.*
*I’m not alone anymore."*
---
Chapter 42: Shadows of the Unheard
Chapter Text
The Echo of Return"**
Hugs, silence, and a shared breath...
But at that moment, an old, nearly forgotten screen in the corner of the room flickered.
*"Click—"*
A green circle appeared in the center of the black screen.
Coiling around it was a serpent, shaped like an eye.
Katsuki took a step forward.
> **"This… this is it."**
Momo immediately checked the system.
> **"No external connection. This is from inside. But how—?"**
The screen suddenly went dark. Then, a message appeared.
---
> **"Not every star falls to the ground.**
**Some merely leave the sky,**
**to shine again in the shadows."**
> **"Beneath the dorms lies a hidden map.**
**Within it, the voices of children still echo."**
> **"Ten paths lead into the shadow,**
**one leads to the heart of a voice.**
**But only those who walk in silence**
**will understand who the listener is."**
> **"'The Serpent’s Voice' does not wait.**
**It only watches.**
**And chooses."**
---
A heavy silence fell over the room.
Everyone had read the message, but no one could form the first sentence.
Denki let out a shaky laugh:
> **"So… this is definitely… a riddle, right? Please tell me I’m not the only one who doesn’t get it."**
Iida nodded solemnly:
> **"This… feels familiar. The structure, the metaphors… It’s like Midoriya’s style."**
Jirou murmured quietly:
> **"If he wrote this… then he’s alive. Can this really be happening? After everything we believed in crumbled… How do we know what’s real anymore?"**
Katsuki stood motionless, staring at the screen.
His jaw trembled, but his eyes burned with a spark.
*"Beneath the dorms…"* he muttered.
> **"UA. The old tunnels under the dorm building. We saw them in dreams too. The passage leading to the lake…"**
**"He’s showing us the way. Izuku…"**
The words caught in his throat.
Shoto added quietly:
> **"But he’s also testing us. 'Only those who walk in silence will hear.'"**
**"Maybe just going there isn’t enough. We have to do it the right way. Maybe… a certain number of people, at a certain time, a certain route…"**
Yaoyorozu pulled out files while thinking:
> **"'A star that leaves the sky'… That could be Shoto. Or all of us.**
**But 'beneath the dorms' is a clear direction. We have to go. It mentions a map, too."**
Tsuyu interjected:
> **"But this could be a trap. Or someone else’s plan."**
Kirishima turned to Katsuki:
> **"What do we do? If you’re not the leader, then who is, Kats?"**
Katsuki stayed silent for a moment.
Then, narrowing his eyes, he whispered:
> **"I’m going.**
**If this message is from him, he’s calling me.**
**If it’s not… I’ve got nothing left to lose anyway."**
**"But if this really came from him…"**
**"Then I’ll find him. Or I’ll stay there."**
Shoto stood behind him.
> **"You’re not alone. Not this time."**
Uraraka wiped her tears and straightened up.
> **"If he called us… then his hope is still with us."**
---
**"Preparation in the Starless Night"**
The deep indigo veil of night pressed against the shelter’s windows.
Outside, silence reigned; inside, hushed whispers lingered.
They had set up a small camp.
Amid the ruins of an old UA outpost—
A place where they once laughed and trained together…
Now, a fire burned.
Not a real one—just Yaoyorozu’s heat-light.
But those gathered around it still needed its warmth.
Katsuki sat alone, slightly apart.
His back against the wall, eyes closed.
But he wasn’t sleeping.
His fingers brushed against the edge of a charred notebook in his pocket.
Izuku’s notebook.
Shoto crouched silently across the fire.
His gaze wasn’t on the dancing light.
His mind was still turning over the symbols in the message.
*"Only those who walk in silence…"*
He wondered: *Have we grown used to silence… but forgotten how to listen?*
Uraraka passed out warm drinks.
But her eyes kept drifting to Katsuki.
She didn’t want him to sit alone, but…
Approaching him took courage.
*"He looks at the world with Izuku’s eyes now… but he still doesn’t speak with his voice."*
Kirishima rubbed his hands together.
He gave Mina a faint smile as she sat beside him.
> **"Tomorrow, we go through the tunnels, huh?**
**Last time we did something like this, there were enemies…**
**Now? Just a kid."**
But then he added:
**"And that kid still cares about us. I can feel it."**
Jirou pressed her ear to the ground.
Listening for echoes in UA’s cracked floors.
> **"Maybe… maybe his footsteps are still in those tunnels.**
**Maybe… like a heartbeat."**
Beside her, Denki was quiet.
His usual jokes were absent tonight.
He just listened.
Occasionally, he pressed a hand to his chest and whispered:
*"Hear me, brother. This time, we won’t leave you alone."*
Sero silently checked his tape.
He tried to fix his broken mask, but it kept falling apart.
He muttered to himself:
> **"Maybe some things are meant to stay broken…**
**Maybe that’s how we stay together."**
Iida finalized the checklist.
What to bring tomorrow? What to leave behind?
But between the lines, one sentence stood out:
*"If Midoriya is alive, the rules rewrite themselves."*
Tsuyu watched the group.
But when she looked up, she didn’t see stars—only the void in the shadows.
And in her heart, she thought:
> **"If you’re out there, we shouldn’t feel this alone.**
**Please… be somewhere.**
**And this time… let us feel you with us."**
As night deepened, Katsuki suddenly stood.
All eyes turned to him.
> **"We go tomorrow.**
**But don’t forget tonight."**
**"If he’s really watching us…**
**He’s watching this.**
**How broken we are,**
**but still standing together…"**
Silence.
Then Shoto rose.
Uraraka followed.
One by one… they all stood.
For a moment… no one spoke. They just looked at each other.
And in that gaze, one truth remained:
Tomorrow, they would descend into the tunnels.
But tonight, they learned to hold onto each other.
DREAM: "Echoes in the Shadows"**
Night slowly settled over the shelter’s roof.
The fire had died, breaths had softened.
And eyelids grew heavy, one by one.
Shoto leaned his head back, taking a deep breath.
Katsuki lay with clenched teeth—as if resisting sleep—but slumber overtook him.
---
🌀 **The Dream Begins: Shared Space**
A door creaked.
A cold gust of wind.
And when the two opened their eyes, they stood in the halls of UA’s dormitories.
But this place was unfamiliar.
Everything was shades of gray.
No light, only elongated shadows.
And on the walls, a green glow seeped through the cracks.
Shoto and Katsuki stared at each other.
This was a dream. They could feel it.
But something… told them this dream wasn’t just from their minds—it had been *sent* from somewhere.
At the end of the hall, a silhouette appeared.
A small child…
Red shoes… a serpent-like tattoo coiling around his arm.
He walked away without turning back.
Katsuki moved instantly.
> **"Wait!"**
His voice echoed, but the child didn’t stop.
Shoto took a step forward.
But the ground trembled, the floor cracked.
And suddenly, the two were thrown in opposite directions.
---
❄️ **Shoto’s Dream – "The Mirror Behind the Fire"**
Shoto found himself in an ice chamber.
Surrounded by frozen mirrors.
But in each reflection… a different version of himself stared back.
In one, Endeavor’s shadow loomed behind him.
In another, Touya’s blue flames threatened to consume him.
And in the last, Izuku stood with his back turned.
> **"You’re not even his brother."**
The words shattered the glass.
The mirror exploded into fragments.
And from the shards emerged a shape:
A serpent biting its own tail.
*Ouroboros.*
A voice whispered:
> **"Brotherhood is not written in blood,**
**but tested in fire.**
**Those who cannot break the mirror,**
**will never find themselves."**
---
💥 **Katsuki’s Dream – "The Shore of the Burned Lake"**
Katsuki stood by the edge of an old lake.
But there was no water.
The ground was dry and cracked.
The sky choked by a violet haze.
And there… a small child.
Bandages on his knees. Eyes wet, but voice steady:
> **"You always shouted.**
**But I… always listened."**
Katsuki knelt.
His eyes locked onto the child’s hands.
He was holding something.
An old puzzle toy.
The child extended it to Katsuki.
When their fingers touched, the toy opened.
A voice echoed from within:
> **"If the sky is silent,**
**the voice falls to the earth.**
**When you hear it,**
**it means he still lives."**
Behind him, a symbol appeared on the wall:
A burned page from Izuku’s notebook.
At its center, an encrypted word:
***"Asagiri."***
---
They woke at the same time.
Breaths ragged.
Something flickered in their eyes.
Shoto immediately locked gazes with Katsuki.
> **"That wasn’t just a dream."**
Katsuki nodded.
> **"He’s guiding us. But… also testing us."**
An unspoken truth settled between them:
This path wasn’t just about endurance.
They had to face their own reflections in the mirror of the past.
---
**Morning – A Silent Ascent**
Dawn arrived, pale and weary.
The oppressive darkness of night gave way to a muted orange glow.
Outside the shelter, in a corner of UA’s ruined courtyard…
A real fire burned between cracked stones, lit by Shoto.
The flames danced defiantly against the morning chill.
Two shadows sat across from it.
Shoto held his hands toward the fire.
He stared into the light but saw more than flames—he saw the past.
Katsuki sat with his knees drawn up, head slightly tilted.
They sat in silence.
And in that silence, they spoke volumes.
After a long pause, Shoto finally spoke.
> **"The dream…"**
His voice was soft, nearly lost in the crackling fire.
**"It wasn’t just a dream. Was it?"**
Katsuki didn’t turn his head.
> **"No. It wasn’t."**
Another stretch of quiet.
Then Shoto continued, eyes still fixed on the flames:
> **"I… heard something.**
**But I won’t say it."**
**"Not yet."**
Katsuki exhaled slowly.
As if he’d been expecting those words.
> **"Same."**
> **"Why?"** Shoto asked, finally turning to him.
**"We’re walking this path together. Why not share it?"**
Katsuki tilted his head up to the sky.
His eyes searched the gray-blue void, as if looking for something.
> **"Because this road… isn’t open to everyone."**
**"Some things, you have to hear alone.**
**If you share them… the meaning scatters."**
**"He… would’ve wanted it this way."**
Shoto nodded.
> **"He’s testing us.**
**But what’s the test?**
**Courage? Loyalty?**
**Or… the ability to stay silent?"**
Katsuki let out a quiet laugh.
For the first time, his voice was soft.
> **"Maybe… it’s about gathering our own broken pieces.**
**Standing before him *whole*."**
**"Not half. Broken, but honest."**
They didn’t speak for a while.
The fire spoke for them.
Burning branches, falling embers.
Then Shoto murmured:
> **"My brother brought me back.**
**But this path… I don’t know where it leads."**
Katsuki closed his eyes.
> **"The last time I saw him… he was a corpse."**
**"If this message is really from him…**
**This isn’t just a return.**
**It’s a challenge."**
Shoto turned to him fully.
For the first time, there was real solidarity in his gaze.
> **"Then… let’s face that challenge together.**
**But we keep the dreams to ourselves.**
**Because this battle… has to start within."**
Katsuki nodded.
And at the same time, they each threw something into the fire:
Shoto—an old UA ID card.
Katsuki—a corner of a burned notebook page.
The fire sparked.
The fragments of the past had ignited the light of the future.
---
**Morning – The Descent**
Dawn came, weary but clear.
Quiet footsteps echoed on the cracked concrete.
They moved in a small convoy—
no longer heroes, just humans now.
Mina adjusted the bag on her back:
> **"This building… it’s almost unrecognizable.**
**But it still feels familiar, doesn’t it?"**
Yaoyorozu examined an old access panel:
> **"This is the bunker we hid in during our first training camp…**
**The lower levels were accessible here. The system’s dead, but the power line still exists."**
Denki tried to joke, but his voice was hollow:
> **"Being a UA graduate… kinda feels like being buried underground."**
Katsuki walked ahead.
Silent.
The breadth of his shoulders carried a determination that cut through the dark.
Behind him, Shoto matched his steps.
The others followed.
When the heavy entrance door creaked open, a wave of cold air hit them.
The floor was cracked, wires torn, walls covered in moss.
But something… was calling them deeper.
**"The Echo of Return – Descent into the Depths"**
The first thing they noticed upon entering was a droplet of light piercing the darkness.
A projector was running—yet there was no power.
Its beam cast a shape onto the wall:
> **Ouroboros**—a serpent biting its own tail.
Beneath it, the words:
*"10 paths lead to one heart."*
Uraraka covered her mouth:
> **"This... this was in my dream too. Or—I thought I’d imagined it."**
Iida studied it gravely:
> **"A symbolic nexus.**
**The tunnel system branches from this point.**
**Ten different paths. But only one is real."**
Jirou pressed her ears to the ground:
> **"No footsteps. But some of these passages... have echoes.**
**Rhythmic. Like someone... walked here recently."**
Tsuyu crouched down:
> **"Small footprints here.**
**Not mud... almost like they were written in water."**
Kirishima whispered:
> **"Did he...? It’s like he’s calling one of us specifically..."**
Katsuki stared at the wall.
At the center of the serpent symbol was a scratch—
an old mark, barely visible unless you knew to look.
He traced it with his fingers.
A whisper escaped his lips:
> **"Like he’s saying... 'I didn’t forget.'"**
Shoto studied the serpent’s eyes.
One red, one green.
Izuku and him...
Two colors spiraling inside the same serpent.
Yaoyorozu pulled out a map.
> **"Six of the ten tunnels are collapsed.**
**Three are uncharted.**
**One is active, emitting a strange energy signal.**
**But it's not conventional—like encrypted radio waves."**
Iida nodded:
> **"Then that’s our path.**
**Izuku’s style. Codes, directions, concealment..."**
Uraraka murmured in agreement:
> **"And if he’s watching us now... this is his final test.**
**Not a game.**
**This is the last strength he has left to give us."**
Katsuki turned back to the group.
> **"If you're ready... we move."**
---
### **🕳️ First Step Into the Dark**
They paused at the tunnel’s entrance.
One by one, they stepped inside.
As their footsteps met the metal grating...
The darkness did not swallow them—
it *embraced* them.
And behind them, words materialized on the wall:
> *"Only those who accept the dark can remember the light."*
**"UA Underground Tunnels: Passage Through Shadows"**
The tunnel was cold.
Concrete walls absorbed the dark; even sound refused to echo.
Only footsteps...
And the silent questions they carried within.
Ahead, the path split into three.
At the center passage’s entrance—a mark on the ground.
A burned scrap of paper.
On it, a faded map and a single word:
***"Asagiri."***
Yaoyorozu picked it up, whispering:
> **"'Morning mist' in Japanese...**
**Something’s hidden. Not a direction—**
**maybe a clue about *time*?"**
Shoto pressed his palm to the wall.
Cold, yet trembling faintly.
He closed his eyes.
And then—a whisper brushed his mind:
> *"Do not call me with fire,*
*but let your voice echo in ice."*
His eyes snapped open.
Suddenly, markings appeared on the wall—
old analysis sketches in Izuku’s handwriting.
Katsuki stepped back.
On the ground, a small charcoal drawing:
Him and Izuku...
Walking to the pond on that distant childhood day.
The air in the tunnel shifted.
The ground trembled faintly.
The ten of them pressed forward.
---
### **🔁 The Fork in the Tunnel**
The path naturally split into three.
Symbols were carved into the walls:
1. **A circle resembling a serpent’s eye**
2. **A burning feather**
3. **A shattered mask**
Instinctively, Katsuki, Shoto, and Kirishima moved toward the same symbol:
*The serpent’s eye.*
Iida, Momo, Denki, and Tsuyu took the second path.
Uraraka, Sero, and Jirou chose the masked passage.
But just as they parted—
a voice echoed simultaneously through all three tunnels.
Not Izuku’s voice... but his words, just as in the dream:
> *"If you wish to hear me, you must walk into your own ruin.*
*Each path will take a piece of you.*
*But in the end... when those pieces unite, it will be me."*
Silence.
Then—the three groups stepped forward.
Chapter 43: The Fallen Star's Ascent
Summary:
The heavens recorded my fall -
but forgot to inscribe my victory."...✨💫🐍
Chapter Text
The Serpent's Eye Passage: Katsuki – Shoto – Kirishima**
This passage carried more than darkness.
The floor echoed with old voices beneath their footsteps.
Childhood sounds. UA hallways.
Izuku's laughter, Aizawa's stern tone, All Might's booming voice.
Kirishima paused mid-step.
Fragments of an old news report suddenly glowed on the walls:
> *"Hero Commission breach reports leaked."*
*"Internship files under re-examination."*
Katsuki clenched his fist.
On another wall, Izuku's analysis notebook materialized like a hologram.
Pages flipped autonomously:
*"Bakugou: Explosive but directionless.*
*If he finds his direction... he'll start a revolution."*
*"Todoroki: Fire and ice lack balance.*
*But whoever balances them becomes a 'dark' light."*
Shoto closed his eyes.
The notebook's final line contained just one sentence:
> *"We're not brothers. But we're ash from the same fire."*
Suddenly, the ground trembled.
The floor threatened to collapse—
but before them, a symbol flared to life:
> **Ouroboros:** *You will return to where you began.*
⏳ **Passage End**
When the group reached the passage's terminus, a metal door awaited.
At its center: UA's old insignia.
But painted over it in white, a single word:
> *"Do Not Return."*
Without a word, Katsuki extended his arm.
Pressed his fingers to the door's side panel.
And with a groan, it slid open.
No light inside.
But as they crossed the threshold—
they heard it:
The whisper of a single breath.
> *"You're late."*
---
**The Serpent's Eye Passage – The Return Chamber**
The door opened like a memory.
The screech of rusted hinges dissolved into darkness.
No light.
Just a silence so absolute even time held its breath.
Katsuki stepped in first.
Crushed glass underfoot, scattered papers...
And a strategy board—like it had burst straight from Izuku's old journals.
At the room's center, charred wall fragments bore a message:
> *"If you ever come looking for me, you'll have to lose yourself first."*
Shoto scanned the room meticulously.
This wasn't just abandoned—
Someone had deliberately left a fracture point here.
Kirishima examined a crack in the wall.
Damp air seeped through, whispering of deeper tunnels below.
But amid these physical clues,
the real fracture was on Katsuki's face.
He collapsed to his knees in the far corner.
There lay an object...
A small bag.
Ancient.
Edges burned.
And on it, a faded emblem: *"Deku."*
With trembling hands, he unzipped it.
What tumbled out was heavier than expected:
A scorched analysis notebook.
Inside, a few legible lines remained:
> *"Kacchan... I know you're still angry.*
*But this time, I had to leave you behind."*
*"If this notebook reached you...*
*you can still find me."*
Shoto stood silently behind Katsuki.
Years of exhaustion weighed his shoulders, smoldering fire behind his eyes.
> **"It's him."**
*"He was really here."*
Kirishima leaned against the doorframe.
Tried to steady himself against the wall—but couldn't.
> **"Katsuki... He... he was trying to protect you."**
Katsuki shut his eyes.
Swallowed hard.
Words lodged in his throat.
Finally, a whisper:
> *"Not me...*
*He was trying to destroy what forced me to stay silent."*
---
🧩 **The Symbol Activates**
Suddenly, a small object clattered from the notebook's pages.
A puzzle toy—round, intricate.
Shoto picked it up.
This was the toy Izuku's child-self held in their shared dream.
But now... it bore a new mark:
> *A three-part serpent figure.*
*Tails touching but never joining.*
Without warning, the toy began spinning.
Autonomously.
As if triggering some mechanism.
And with a groan, a section of the wall slid back.
Behind it: a dark passage.
But this wasn't like the tunnels.
Square-shaped. Almost artificial.
Like a sublevel UA never knew existed.
From within the walls, a voice resonated:
> *"If you truly wish to see me,*
*you must first close your eyes."*
Katsuki pressed the notebook to his chest.
Closed his eyes.
And stepped forward.
Shoto followed.
Then Kirishima.
And the light—
vanished.
**The Shattered Mask Passage – Those Left in Silence**
The door creaked open.
They stepped inside like actors entering a stage.
The walls were lined with mirrors.
But the mirrors were shattered.
Their faces didn't reflect—only formless shadows.
Jirou tuned her ears to the room.
A hum lingered... but it wasn't rhythmic.
Like sobs mingling with someone's breath.
Sero touched a mask on the wall.
White. Smooth.
But behind it, Aoyama’s name was carved.
And beneath it, the words:
> *"Don’t blame me.*
*You were the ones who looked away."*
Uraraka stood a step behind.
Her eyes were closed.
For a moment, she saw it again—Izuku silently saying goodbye.
A wall suddenly lit up.
A video began to play.
The classroom.
Izuku, buried in his notebooks.
Aoyama alone in the corner.
The rest of the class talking…
Except one—everyone had turned their backs.
A voice echoed:
> *"Some betrayals don’t scream.*
*They grow in silence."*
Jirou’s hand trembled.
> *"Did we... really do nothing?*
*Did we really not notice?"*
Uraraka approached one of the mirrors.
In the cracked surface, a shape formed—
Izuku’s face.
But his eyes were covered by a mask.
Only his lips moved:
> *"How did you not see... someone as alone as I was?"*
Sero swayed on his feet.
He picked up a mask.
Put it on.
And the entire room plunged into darkness.
A whisper echoed in the void:
> *"Facing the truth is more than looking.*
*Those who choose not to see...*
*are doomed to the same fate:*
*Silence."*
A door opened.
And on the ground, a symbol appeared:
> *The mask is broken.*
*The eyes are open.*
*Another piece is found.*
---
### **🔥 The Burning Feather Passage – The Collapse of Silent Order**
*(Momo, Iida, Denki, Tsuyu)*
The tunnel’s entrance was different from the others.
A burned emblem hung on the wall:
The Hero Commission’s seal.
But over it, a single word was painted:
> *"You are being watched."*
When the door opened, there was no warmth inside.
Despite the name *"Burning Feather."*
No heat—just the smell of scorched paper greeted them.
Charred documents on the walls,
Scattered mission cards on the floor…
Momo picked up a file.
Dust-covered.
But the first page bore her name.
> *"Project: Young Heroes – Manipulation Model in Training (Unpublished)"*
*Objective: Unquestioning loyalty in the ideal generation.*
Her eyes widened.
*"They... experimented on us."*
Iida suddenly dropped to his knees.
A recording device lay at his feet, still playing.
A voice spilled out—
Aoyama’s father’s voice:
> *"My son... all they want is the illusion of heroism.*
*If you try to truly fix things...*
*they’ll either silence you,*
*or never let you become a hero."*
Denki approached the monitors lining the wall.
Cracked, but some still flickered.
One screen glitched…
Then turned on.
It showed Mitsuki Bakugou’s testimony.
Not to the press—to a private interrogation.
> *"My son’s friend...*
*That boy—Midoriya—*
*He knew too much.*
*So they silenced him.*
*Or worse… buried him."*
Tsuyu leaned against the wall.
Her eyes were wet, but she didn’t cry.
Silent.
> *"They taught us justice.*
*But justice wasn’t blind.*
*It was forced to look away."*
As they advanced, a single symbol repeated on the walls:
A burning feather.
Each a different color, but none drawn in flight—all falling.
And on the ground, one feather remained unburned.
Momo picked it up.
At its stem, an engraving:
> *"Don’t fight for me.*
*Not for the system either.*
*Just for what you still believe in."*
*—I. Midoriya*
When the feather glowed, a wall at the end of the tunnel slid back.
Another dark passage emerged.
Just like the others had seen.
And there, an old voice echoed one last time:
> *"Everyone believed in me.*
*But only some truly heard me."*
**🌑 The Throne Room – Before Facing the Truth**
The doors opened simultaneously.
At the end of all three passages, the heroes stepped in from different directions.
The floor… polished stone.
But its cracks sprawled like a map—
As if history itself had shattered beneath their feet.
At the room’s center… a throne.
Not tall.
Not grand.
Yet its presence devoured the space.
It stood empty.
Chains hung from the ceiling…
Faded hero portraits embedded in the walls…
Names erased, leaving only hollow victories behind.
No one spoke.
But the room had already begun its judgment.
---
**🌫️ Whispers of the Shadow**
A resonance rose from the dark.
Not one voice—
But thousands, yet all bleeding from a single mind.
> *"You are here."*
*"But you may be too late."*
*"Because everyone searches… few earn the right to find."*
The walls trembled.
Shadows behind the throne stirred.
Not a silhouette—an echo.
Not Izuku’s voice, but the reverberation of his thoughts.
Now the voice turned to each hero.
One by one… the reckoning began.
---
**🩸 To Katsuki:**
> *"You blamed yourself."*
*"Yet sealed every ruin with rage."*
*"You wanted to lead."*
*"Then why… did the one closest to you die alone?"*
Katsuki clenched his fists.
But for the first time, he didn’t fight back.
Only bowed his head.
> *"Because I only knew how to shout."*
*"Not how to listen."*
**❄️ To Shoto:**
> *"You had fire."*
*"Ice silenced you."*
*"You split yourself in half."*
*"So why… do you still walk only one path?"*
Shoto closed his eyes.
The shadow pressed closer.
> *"Because I carry both."*
*"I am broken… but still walking with these pieces."*
**🧱 To Kirishima:**
> *"You always stood strong."*
*"But behind your eyes, the same question lingered:"*
*"'What if I’m not truly strong enough?'"*
Kirishima shook his head quietly.
> *"Maybe strength… is still choosing to stand here."*
---
**🎧 To Jirou:**
> *"You listen to voices."*
*"But have you ever heard your own?"*
*"Or do you drown reality in music?"*
Jirou unplugged her jack.
Silent.
But ready.
**🎭 To Uraraka:**
> *"You fought with love."*
*"But kept it locked inside."*
*"What if one day… you lose it without ever speaking?"*
Uraraka didn’t resist her tears.
But she didn’t hide them either.
> *"If I’m not too late… I’ll still say it."*
**💡 To Denki:**
> *"You buried fear in jokes."*
*"But when seriousness called… you fled."*
*"Are you really here, Denki?"*
Denki lowered his head.
But his eyes locked onto the shadow.
> *"This time, I am."*
*"Even if I’m not laughing."*
---
**🌿 To Tsuyu:**
> *"You were quiet."*
*"But even you were torn between silence and speech."*
*"Do you still believe… heroism is possible?"*
Tsuyu, slow but clear:
> *"If not… it’s still worth trying."*
---
**🕰️ To Iida:**
> *"You loved rules."*
*"But they chained you."*
*"If you break them now… will you still be you?"*
Iida removed his helmet.
> *"I am not chains."*
*"I am… my choice."*
---
**🧠 To Yaoyorozu:**
> *"You were knowledge."*
*"You were power."*
*"But did you ever rebel?"*
*"Or did you always obey what was ‘right’?"*
Momo sank to her knees.
> *"Now I seek not just what’s right…"*
*"But what’s just."*
**🧪 To Ashido:**
> *"What did you hide behind laughter?"*
*"Did you forget the screams of that boy left in the dark?"*
*"You lost someone, didn’t you?"*
*"When ‘they’ slipped through your fingers—"*
Ashido’s eyes widened.
A flash in her mind:
A child with a burned face, hollow eyes… watching her from afar.
> *"I just wanted to save them,"* she said.
*"But I was scared."*
*"In that moment… I wasn’t a hero."*
*"Just a child."*
---
**🕸️ To Sero:**
> *"Connection was your strength."*
*"But you were always a side character in others’ stories."*
*"Did you ever ask—"*
*"‘Whose hero am I?’"*
Sero swallowed.
Studied his hands.
All these years… he’d supported from the sidelines.
Never built his own center.
> *"Maybe I’m no one’s,"* he said.
*"But this time… I’m not just a side role."*
*"I’m here."*
---
**🔥 The Shadow’s Final Words:**
The throne room darkened.
The voice fractured into a chorus—
Izuku’s, theirs, and something older.
> *"You passed."*
*"Not because you answered well."*
*"But because you finally heard the questions."*
Then—
Light exploded from the cracks in the floor.
The throne split open.
And beneath it…
A single green glove.
Covered in dust, but intact.
Katsuki reached for it first.
The moment his fingers brushed the fabric—
A pulse.
The room **screamed**.
**🌑 The Shadow of the Throne – Second Inquiry: "Are You Truly Ready?"**
The throne remained silent.
But the shadows began to move.
A cold voice seeped from the ceiling to the floor, from the floor into their hearts:
> *"Some of you spoke the truth."*
*"But how much of it did you tell yourselves?"*
From the throne's shadow, a second echo emerged.
This time, words that resonated deep within each of them.
---
**🧨 To Katsuki, again:**
> *"You still remember the moment you weren’t by his side, don’t you?"*
*"When he screamed..."*
*"You didn’t turn away."*
*"But you were too late."*
Katsuki’s vision blurred.
As if he wasn’t standing before the throne, but in the middle of that burned lake from his dreams.
Izuku’s outstretched hand…
And his own frozen body.
In a hoarse whisper:
> *"No... not this time."*
*"I’ll take his hand."*
---
**❄️ To Shoto:**
> *"You couldn’t stop Touya."*
*"You couldn’t protect your mother."*
*"You ran from your father’s shadow, yet you carry his mark."*
*"So tell me… do you still know who you are?"*
Shoto’s skin prickled.
The words Touya had burned into his chest still lingered.
But for the first time, he held his head high.
> *"I am chaos."*
*"But I choose this chaos."*
*"From now on… I decide who I am."*
---
**🧪 To Ashido:**
> *"That day… you looked into that child’s eyes."*
*"And yet, you ran."*
*"You danced, you smiled…"*
*"But that child still lives inside you."*
Ashido sank to her knees for the first time.
Her hands clutched her head.
A single tear fell:
> *"I didn’t run from them."*
*"I ran from myself."*
*"Now I remember their name."*
*"And this time… I’ll fight for them."*
---
**🕸️ To Sero:**
> *"When did you ever stand up for yourself?"*
*"You were everyone’s support…"*
*"But you never fought your own battle."*
Sero tilted his head.
He remembered a hero poster—his name wasn’t even on it, just a smiling face beside him.
But then, he grinned:
> *"This is my first battle."*
*"And for the first time… I’m here in my own name."*
---
**🧠 To Yaoyorozu:**
> *"They called you ‘the smartest.’"*
*"But you offered your thoughts to the system."*
*"Now… knowledge or loyalty?"*
Momo clenched her fists.
She looked at those beside her.
Then at the shadow.
> *"Knowledge is no longer just a weapon."*
*"It will be the light of justice."*
*"Not loyalty."*
---
**🎧 To Jirou:**
> *"We hear your heartbeat."*
*"But why don’t you let anyone else listen?"*
Jirou set her headphones down.
Took a deep breath.
> *"Because… I won’t hide anymore."*
*"I cry too."*
*"I love too."*
*"And that’s not weakness."*
---
**🌿 To Tsuyu:**
> *"You were someone they relied on."*
*"But you always silenced your own fear."*
*"Now we ask:"*
*"Are you really unafraid?"*
Tsuyu stepped forward.
Her voice was quiet but clear:
> *"I’m afraid."*
*"But I walk with that fear."*
*"I won’t stay silent."*
---
**💡 To Denki:**
> *"We saw the void behind your jokes."*
*"But what you need to see…"*
*"is that you must forgive yourself."*
*"You don’t have to prove you’re not a fool anymore."*
Denki pressed a hand to his chest.
> *"This time… let me speak."*
*"No jokes."*
*"Just my word."*
---
**🕰️ To Iida:**
> *"Did you break the rules?"*
*"Or did you redefine them?"*
Iida:
> *"I’m no longer loyal to laws—but to conscience."*
*"True heroism begins there."*
---
**🎭 To Uraraka:**
> *"Say it."*
*"Do you still love him?"*
*"And why haven’t you said it yet?"*
Uraraka pressed her hands to her heart.
Whispered Izuku’s name.
> *"Because I was afraid…"*
*"But now…"*
*"I hear him."*
---
**🌓 Before the Throne – Final Silence**
The shadow fell silent.
A breath.
A step.
Three symbols ignited on the floor:
1. **The Serpent** – Wisdom and mystery.
2. **The Feather** – Faith and fall.
3. **The Mask** – Facing the truth.
Light swirled around the throne.
The ceiling…
Slowly cracked.
As if the sky itself was leaking in.
And then…
Footsteps.
Slow.
Sharp.
Resolute.
But still, no face was visible.
Only a silhouette.
A silence that stole their breath.
And finally…
the voice spoke again:
> *"You’re ready."*
---
### **👑 The Throne – The Walking Shadow, The Returning Soul**
At the center of the room, before the empty throne,
a silhouette moved silently.
Its footsteps made no sound.
But it sent a tremor through every heart.
Darkness still veiled its face.
But step by step…
A body became visible:
> A tattered, trailing cape over its shoulders.
A torn black uniform.
Stitches like scars…
And bandages winding up its arms.
Fingers cracked, as if each had survived a different battle.
But on its left forearm, a tattoo coiled like an ouroboros—
a black serpent swallowing its own tail.
The heroes squinted.
All of them realized at once.
Those steps…
That gait…
That cape—
And then…
The shoes.
Dust-covered, but their color unmistakable.
**Red.**
The most familiar shade of their childhood.
Jirou’s hand flew to her mouth.
Kirishima’s legs trembled.
Uraraka couldn’t hold back her tears.
And Katsuki—
forgot to breathe.
> *"No…"*
*"This—this can’t be real."*
*"I saw you—"*
*"You DIED—"*
But the figure didn’t stop.
It approached the throne.
Slow.
Step by step.
A mask covered its face—
half-human, half-beast,
the left side shattered, the right drowned in shadow.
But one eye was visible: **emerald green.**
Still burning with light.
Tired but stubborn.
Wounded but awake.
And then…
the figure spoke.
Not as a shadow—
but in a real, human voice:
> *"You came."*
*"You passed through it all."*
*"Mask, feather, and serpent."*
*"Your losses, your fears, your betrayals…"*
*"And yet, you’re here."*
Shoto took a step forward:
> *"Who are you?"*
*"...I touched you in my dreams."*
*"How is this possible?"*
The figure touched its mask.
Slowly…
Pushed it up from its chin.
The mask didn’t fall.
It was caught silently in its hand.
And then…
**Izuku Midoriya’s face was revealed.**
But this wasn’t the boy they remembered.
Scars lined his cheeks.
An old gash marked his forehead.
Dark circles hung under his eyes.
But in his gaze…
that familiar spark.
That *"I’m still here"* determination.
Katsuki stumbled back.
His knees gave out.
> *"No…"*
*"This—"*
*"This isn’t real—"*
*"I watched you—"*
*"I watched you DIE—"*
Izuku met his eyes.
And answered softly:
> *"Maybe my body stopped…"*
*"But ideas don’t die."*
*"And sometimes…"*
*"The darkest place is where the echo returns."*
Iida covered his mouth.
Momo collapsed to the floor.
Ashido pressed her fists to her knees, whispering, *"Impossible."*
Denki shook his head, lost.
And then, Izuku…
turned to the empty throne.
Slowly, silently…
he sat.
His cape spilled over the armrests.
The serpent tattoo shimmered faintly in the light.
His red shoes still looked ready to run.
Then, he spoke just one sentence:
> *"Now… we rewrite the story."*
Chapter 44: Eight Years of Ashes & Kacchan's Fallen Angel
Summary:
**"I didn't die...
**I just... needed time to learn how to return."**
💫✨💥🍷
"The Serpent's Last Song" 🐍
Chapter Text
He Sat.**
Izuku Midoriya,
With a serpent tattoo,
In his red shoes,
With wounded hands,
Sat upon that throne,
Before them all.
Yet no one dared to breathe.
Time…
grew heavy as cotton.
Each of them,
as if pierced through the chest by the same dagger,
stood frozen.
---
**Katsuki Bakugou**
His fingers trembled.
His jaw clenched uncontrollably.
He couldn’t take a single step.
His heart—
felt as if sealed shut with lead.
> *"I missed you… so much I would’ve dug you out of your grave.
I lost my voice whispering your name…
And you…
you were here all along."*
Suddenly, his vision blurred.
The scream he had suppressed for years—
now collapsed into a single word lodged in his throat:
> *"Izuku…"*
His legs gave out.
And he fell to his knees.
Not onto the ground—
but into the past.
---
**Shoto Todoroki**
Another loss.
Another ghost.
His eyes locked onto Izuku’s.
But he didn’t believe it.
He *refused* to believe it.
> *"I thought I burned you away.
I…
I left you alone.
We…
we burned you.
And yet… you’re still here?"*
His fingers trembled faintly.
And for the first time…
Shoto’s lips cracked as he whispered:
> *"Forgive me…"*
---
**Ochako Uraraka**
Standing upright
was instinct.
But her heart had already collapsed.
The look on her face…
was not joy,
but the madness of a lost love resurrected.
> *"I… saw you.
Every night…
Not in dreams, but in nightmares.
You always died.
And I…
could never catch you."*
Her tears were not those of a child’s cry.
They were silent.
Exhausted.
Yet from those tears, only one sentence escaped:
> *"Please… be real…"*
---
**Eijirou Kirishima**
Faith.
He had always believed.
But the weight of that faith had piled on his back like stone.
Now, the stone had cracked.
Because the miracle stood before his eyes.
> *"Brother…
Our teacher.
Our past.
We… buried you.
How… is this possible?"*
He clenched his fists.
Then slammed them down—
not in anger, but desperation.
> *"If this is a dream…
don’t wake me.
But if it’s real…
we’ll never lose you again."*
---
**Momo Yaoyorozu**
Intelligence couldn’t solve everything.
For the first time,
it was not her mind, but her heart that spoke.
She didn’t wipe her tears.
Because these were not tears of fear…
but of justice quietly fulfilled.
> *"So… you never gave up on us."*
---
**Denki, Tsuyu, Iida, Jirou, Sero, Ashido**
Each stood in different corners…
Yet all carried the same shock.
Denki buried his face in his hands.
Iida removed his glasses, forgetting protocol for the first time.
Ashido curled into herself,
Sero stared blankly ahead,
Tsuyu’s throat was knotted tight,
Jirou didn’t want to hear a single sound.
Yet they all thought the same thing:
> *"This… shouldn’t be possible.
And yet…
he’s here.
Our Midoriya."*
---
Katsuki’s eyes were bloodshot. **"This… this has to be an illusion."** His fingers shook, unable to reach for Izuku’s face. **"You… You died eight years ago. In my arms… covered in blood… you took your last breath!"**
His voice splintered, his throat burning. **"How can you do this? HOW CAN YOU STAND IN FRONT OF ME?!"**
Izuku Midoriya looked at him with that same old gentleness. But he was no longer that same boy. The scars on his face, the weight in his stance, the depth in his eyes—it all drove Katsuki mad.
**"Kacchan…"**
**"SHUT UP!"** Katsuki staggered back, shaking his head violently. **"I haven’t heard that stupid name in years! You… You…"**
Then Izuku took a step forward. Katsuki’s breath hitched. **"Don’t! Don’t touch me! If… if you do…"**
But Izuku did.
His hands cupped Katsuki’s face, then pulled him into an embrace. **"I’m real."**
Katsuki’s body went slack. The man who never bent, never broke, now melted in Izuku’s arms. **"No… no, this can’t be real…"**
But Izuku’s scent…
**"You…"** Katsuki’s voice was raw, choked with sobs. **"How… how do you still smell the same? You’re not him! That kid is gone, that kid died because of me! HOW DO YOU STILL SMELL LIKE HIM?!"**
**Izuku held him tighter.** **"Because I've always been with you. I didn't die, Kacchan. I just... came back."**
Katsuki shattered completely. His knees buckled, collapsing into Izuku's arms. Years of pain, regret, and longing burst forth at once. **"I... I buried you..."**
And then, for the first time in eight years, Katsuki Bakugou sobbed—broken, raw, and unfiltered.
Izuku's hands tangled in his hair, his voice a whisper against his ear: **"Forgive me."**
Katsuki, without even understanding why, broke even further.
---
Katsuki's gaze dropped to Izuku's *red shoes*. The same color as *that night*—when he'd breathed his last in his arms. **"You..."** His throat closed up. *"Your scent... that damn tattoo on your left arm... None of that was there before! YOU'RE NOT MY IZUKU!"*
Izuku cradled Katsuki's face in his scarred hands. *"But I am."* His fingers traced the marks on Katsuki's cheeks. *"I just... came back with wounds you don't know."*
**Shoto** was the first to step forward: *"Midoriya, how—"*
**Izuku** smiled. A smile *filled with shadows*. *"Because not even death could keep me from you."*
Katsuki's legs gave out. As his knees hit the cold stone floor, a choked sound tore from his throat. His eyes weren’t fixed on the boy before him—but on his *shadow*. That shadow… had slipped through his fingers eight years ago.
But now it was here. Pale, shattered, exhausted—but *alive*.
And that truth hammered into his skull like a nail.
*"A lie..."* he whispered.
*"A lie. This is a dream. I... I broke again, didn’t I?"*
Izuku knelt in front of him. His hands still on Katsuki’s face, but this time, their warmth was deeper.
*"If this is a dream,"* he murmured, his voice like an echo from the underworld, *"then why does it hurt, Kacchan?"*
Katsuki’s eyes flooded. This was the silence before the scream. The moment the heart breaks but the voice hasn’t caught up.
*"I... buried you."*
His voice carried the weight of a child who’d held devastation inside for years. *"I buried you... with my own hands."*
Izuku’s expression flickered.
*"I know."*
*"But what was left of me that night... wasn’t me anymore."*
Shoto held his breath. Behind them, Momo, Uraraka, Kirishima, Denki—everyone stood frozen. Time had stopped.
*"Then what are you now?"* Katsuki demanded. *"A ghost? A lie? A... curse?"*
Izuku tilted his head. His jacket shifted—revealing symbols coiled between his shoulder blades like serpents. Not tattoos, not scars.
Like *words*.
Burnt, carved words.
*"I... died to protect you,"* he said.
*"But I failed. So I came back. By another path. Under another name."*
Katsuki tried to stand, but his legs trembled.
*"Izuku... if it’s really you..."*
His voice cracked.
*"Why did you leave me alone for eight years?! WHY DIDN’T YOU COME TO ME WHEN I WAS CRYING AT YOUR GRAVE?!"*
Izuku went silent. Just... silent.
Then he bowed his head.
*"Because I knew... if I came back, you’d follow me."*
*"And I didn’t want you to die too."*
Katsuki shattered. His fists clenched, teeth grinding to hold back the tears. But it was useless now.
Because his tears had become the only way to say *"come back."*
The stars in the sky were fading one by one.
But among them, one had been reborn.
From shadow.
From death.
From love.
And its name was *Izuku*.
But now...
He wasn’t the boy Katsuki once knew.
He was *Hebi no Koe*—
the one who lived in the whispers of serpents.
---
Katsuki dropped to his hands and knees, forehead pressed to the ground as he fought to steady his breathing. Hearing that Izuku had returned as *Hebi no Koe* was both a blessing and a curse. The storm inside him erupted, unleashing years of agony at once.
Izuku quietly knelt beside him.
*"I didn’t come back to hurt you, Kacchan. I need you to know that."*
His voice was soft, but firm.
*"I didn’t want to show you my scars... because I was afraid. Afraid we’d both get lost in that darkness."*
Katsuki lifted his head, eyes burning with grief and fury.
*"And what about me?! How was I supposed to live those eight years without you?!"*
*"How could you leave me?! HOW COULD YOU DIE ON ME?!"*
Izuku smiled faintly.
*"That’s why I came back. Because without your strength... I’m incomplete."*
*"And to return to you... I had to conquer my own darkness first."*
Those words slowly melted the ice in Katsuki’s heart.
But he was still afraid. Afraid because this new Izuku was hard to recognize.
Even within himself, there was a war—a war against the shadows.
**Suddenly, Shoto and the others stepped closer.**
Shoto’s voice trembled, but the question in his eyes cut deeper:
*"Izuku… is this your final form? Is this the boy we lost eight years ago?"*
Izuku took a slow breath, lifting his gaze to the sky.
*"I am not that boy."*
*"I am his memory. His legacy. And now… we must forge a new path with this dark inheritance."*
Katsuki pulled himself up, standing on unsteady legs.
*"And what about me? Where do I stand on this path, Izuku?"*
Izuku’s eyes darkened, his voice echoing with an old strength:
*"You’ve always been at my side, Kacchan. And I’ll prove it to you. This time… we walk together."*
The fire inside Katsuki roared—a spark of hope amid the wreckage.
And in that moment, the rebirth of two old lovers began.
Not a story of those lost to darkness—
but of those who turned back toward the light.
---
### **Eight Years Ago**
The battlefield had turned to hell. Heroes and villains clashed in a war of survival. Izuku Midoriya lay broken, bleeding out on the ground. Everyone thought he was dead—eyes closed, breath nearly gone.
But he hadn’t died.
In the fading haze of his consciousness, he heard a whisper—cold, sharp, and inviting. A dark entity offered him a second chance.
*"Return… but you will no longer be the same."*
Izuku’s soul was dragged back from death’s edge, reshaped by hidden experiments and unknown energies. The tattoos, the scars—they weren’t just carved into his flesh, but into his very being.
When he awoke, the face in the mirror was no longer the hopeful boy he once was. In his place stood a figure who lived in shadows, who carried the whispers of serpents:
**Hebi no Koe—The Voice of the Snake.**
---
### **Present**
Katsuki collapsed onto the stone floor, hands braced against his knees. The pain he’d suppressed for eight years crashed over him like a tidal wave. The tears that fell weren’t just grief—they were the weight of years of ruin.
Izuku, burdened by the scars of his resurrection, knelt beside him. His fingers brushed gently through Katsuki’s hair.
*"Kacchan,"* he murmured, his voice like an old melody woven from shadows.
*"I never left you. Every wound, every broken piece of me… you were there. I was with you. You just couldn’t see me."*
Katsuki swallowed hard, whispering:
*"Why hide? Why come back like this? Why didn’t you tell me? For eight years… I mourned you at your grave."*
Izuku lifted his head, his eyes dark but resolute.
*"Because if I returned, you would’ve followed me. I couldn’t bear to see you suffer more. I was afraid… of leaving you alone in the dark."*
Around them, Shoto, Uraraka, Kirishima, Denki, and the others watched in stunned silence. Their eyes held shock, hope, and fear. Kirishima’s voice shook as he asked:
*"Katsuki… what does Izuku’s return mean for us?"*
Katsuki stood, his eyes wet but burning.
*"I don’t know… But it means our story isn’t over. It’s a chance to start again."*
Izuku parted his jacket, revealing the serpentine scars on his back—more than wounds, they were the mark of his new identity.
*"I’m not that boy anymore. I’m his memory. His legacy. I became Hebi no Koe—the Voice of the Snake."*
Shoto narrowed his eyes, silently realizing: *"We thought we lost him… but he was always here."*
Uraraka’s eyes shimmered.
*"Izuku… as painful as this return is, it’s also full of hope."*
Katsuki looked at Izuku, seeing the light that still burned within the darkness.
*"We walk together, Kacchan,"* Izuku repeated, his voice firm.
*"This time… we won’t let go."*
---
### **From Shoto’s Perspective**
The wind howled through the abandoned tunnel, each step tightening the knot in Shoto’s chest. Facing Touya again was like confronting a ghost risen from the ashes of their burned past.
But the real ghost… hadn’t appeared yet.
A pebble skittered underfoot. Then, a whisper:
*"Do you still wake up at night, Shoto?"*
He knew that voice.
He’d heard it more than his father’s growing up.
A voice that had once been a harbor in his wounds—
**Izuku.**
Shoto turned toward the darkness. And there… stood the boy he once knew, now with eyes woven from shadows.
Fragments of an old hero’s jacket clung to his frame, his gaze holding both life and death.
*"You…"*
Shoto’s voice cracked.
*"You died."*
Izuku stepped forward. His footsteps were neither light nor heavy—as if he walked outside of time.
*"No,"* he said. *"I was lost. But your prayers… they were the chains that held me."*
Shoto’s chest tightened.
*"You were… my angel. When my mother choked on ice and my father screamed with fire… you just held my hand. I always thought… you were salvation."*
Izuku stood before him. His eyes held kindness, but the darkness in them was undeniable.
*"I’m not salvation, Shoto. But you clung to me so you wouldn’t fall. And I… had to survive to keep you standing."*
Shoto stepped back.
*"But how? Touya… Touya is alive. Did he…"*
His voice trembled.
*"Did he stay alive for me too?"*
Izuku’s smile was once a balm—now laced with poison.
*"Sometimes, to keep one person alive… you have to drag another into the dark."*
*"Touya had already fallen. But I held onto him… for you. I had to keep him alive. Because if you broke again… you wouldn’t have come back."*
Tears streamed down Shoto’s face. Not just for loss—but for the child inside him who had finally been answered.
*"You… never let me go?"*
Izuku reached out. His fingers still held their old gentleness.
*"If I let go of you… you would’ve let go of yourself. So I stayed in the shadows. But now… I’m here."*
Shoto took his hand. It wasn’t warm. But it was alive. It was real.
And for the first time in years, the cry of the child inside him was finally answered.
*"Don’t… apologize for protecting me."*
*"But please… don’t leave me alone again, Izuku."*
Izuku only shook his head.
*"I can’t promise that."*
*"But this time… if we fall, we fall together. And we’ll rise together too."*
The silence gave way to unease.** The shadows weren’t just darkness—they were heralds of buried truths.
Shoto furrowed his brow and spoke quietly:
*"Hebi no Koe… It was a whisper in the Hero Commission. An unspoken, hidden truth. Izuku… are you one of them?"*
Izuku shook his head, the light in his eyes dimming further.
*"Yes. Where the war ended… was where the truth was buried. The Commission didn’t hide my death that night. They hid my transformation."*
Denki and Uraraka exchanged glances as Kirishima added grimly:
*"That night, more than just Izuku was lost on the battlefield. Countless things were erased. The secrets heroes left behind… And we never knew."*
Katsuki’s eyes burned.
*"They covered it up… Hid everything! Then what about these tattoos? These burned marks? What do they mean? What did they turn you into, Izuku?!"*
Izuku took a deep breath, as if balancing the darkness and light inside him.
*"The result of the Commission’s dark experiments. I became the war’s most feared weapon. The Voice of Snakes—a hidden force that controls them."*
Shoto’s face twisted with shock and fear.
*"Can this power be controlled? Or… is it a curse?"*
Izuku closed his eyes, then reopened them.
*"Control is difficult… but not impossible. And I need your help, Shoto."*
A heavy silence fell. Each of them carried both hope and dread.
Then, a voice echoed from the distance—an old ally, perhaps an enemy, or the true shadow behind this story:
*"Hebi no Koe can no longer hide."*
*"The truth will surface. The foundations of hero society… will crumble."*
Katsuki gritted his teeth.
*"Then we’ll face this war. To expose Izuku’s secret—and this darkness."*
Izuku met his gaze.
*"Together. This time… truly together."*
Chapter 45: Who Walks Between Graves
Summary:
Your silence didn’t suffocate me – you silenced me to avoid hearing your own screams.
What you truly lost while mourning... was yourselves....👑🍷🐍
Chapter Text
The Living Graveyard"**
Beneath the ruins of U.A., it wasn’t just the stones that groaned—it was the weight of years of grief. The heroes weren’t afraid of Izuku’s silence, but of what lay behind his words.
Katsuki was still by his side, but he stood a step behind.
Izuku’s breath echoed in the darkness.
*"Death is not an end. It’s just a door into the shadows."*
Shoto frowned.
*"Stop speaking in riddles, Midoriya."*
*"We can’t touch you. We can’t believe you. Give us answers."*
Izuku lowered his head, then slowly turned. His eyes, filled with a depth they’d never seen before, answered:
*"You buried me. But I was never meant for the earth."*
Momo stepped forward, clutching an old analysis notebook.
*"This... is your writing. But pages are missing. The information is incomplete. Who took the rest?"*
Izuku looked at the notebook. Then placed a hand over his heart.
*"The answer wasn’t buried. It was burned."*
*"Every page was a mistake. Every mistake was a key."*
Kirishima clenched his fist.
*"What does that mean? While we mourned you... what key were you searching for here?"*
Izuku closed his eyes. A whisper slipped through the dark:
*"A serpent slithering beneath a lost city still writes the story, even as it coils in silence. But all anyone hears is its scream."*
Denki murmured under his breath:
*"That’s... a riddle, isn’t it?"*
*"Everything is a riddle,"* Izuku replied.
*"My death, my disappearance, my return... all of it is a game meant for you. Only I remember the rules."*
Iida stepped forward, his voice uncharacteristically shaking:
*"What game are we playing, Midoriya? Who are we playing for?"*
Izuku said nothing. Then, from his inner pocket, he pulled out a charred piece of metal—the old U.A. emblem, now cracked.
*"This school was your home. For me, it was my grave."*
A heavy silence settled over them all.
For the first time, Katsuki looked away.
*"Are you still our Izuku?"*
Izuku bowed his head, then whispered softly:
*"I am... the word you never carved on your gravestone. The guilt you couldn’t name, the betrayal you never saw."*
Uraraka fell to her knees, tears streaming down her face.
*"You’re standing here... but we buried you years ago. Which truth are we supposed to believe now?"*
Izuku turned to them silently.
*"Don’t believe. Just walk. And remember..."*
*"When the serpent speaks, every word drags you into the past. But only one remembers the answer."*
*"Who?"* Shoto demanded.
Izuku only whispered:
*"The one who put it in the grave."*
Katsuki froze.
Uraraka stood up. Her hands trembled at her sides, her eyes brimming—but she wasn’t crying anymore. She was too tired for tears.
*"Izuku..."*
Her voice cracked for the first time.
*"When we lost you, something inside us died too. Every night, I heard your voice in my dreams. In every battle, I thought of you. Because you stood tall, so did I."*
Izuku watched her. Silent. Saying nothing. But his eyes tore her apart.
*"Why didn’t you tell us?"*
*"You hid everything. From us."*
*"You shattered everything we believed in."*
Uraraka’s voice rose:
*"Now you're here... but we don’t even know how much of you is left!"*
*"You died for us. And we buried you. You were our grief!"*
A beat of silence.
Then... Izuku lowered his head.
His footsteps echoed as he moved forward.
And he spoke—like he was telling a story, as if touching not his own memories, but a stranger’s tale:
*"Trust is a bridge that exists before the fall. Once broken, the river’s roar doesn’t cease—but you can’t cross."*
*"I never tried to be your bridge. I was the cliff that kept you from falling. You just never saw me."*
Uraraka shut her eyes, gripping her head.
*"What does that even mean?!"*
Shoto stepped forward.
*"Speak clearly, Midoriya."*
Izuku turned. His eyes burned like embers in the dark.
But his voice... was still soft.
*"Do you know why you never saw me?"*
*"Because the grave you mourned wasn’t just mine... It was the grave of everything you buried."*
*"U.A.... your dreams... your blind faith... You buried it all there, together."*
Denki took a step back. Fear flickered in his eyes for the first time.
*"You... you’re not our Izuku anymore."*
Izuku bent down. With his finger, he traced an old symbol into the dirt:
A serpent devouring itself inside a circle. Ouroboros.
*"I am your past. And your future. We are trapped in the same cycle."*
Katsuki finally snapped:
*"More riddles! More evasion!"*
*"What do you want from us?!"*
Izuku finally lifted his head.
*"I don’t want you to find the answers. I want you to ask the right questions."*
Another silence. Then—
*"Let the first question be this,"* Izuku said.
*"I didn’t die. But who lived in my place?"*
---
**"Those Who Lived in Your Place"**
—Amid the ruins, the silence was no longer just silence—it was the echo of a reckoning—
Izuku began to walk without another word.
His steps were slow, deliberate. As if each one pressed into a memory left behind.
First, he stopped in front of Kirishima.
The unbreakable man. The rock they all leaned on.
Izuku met his eyes, stepping closer.
*"You became a wall. But no one ever saw a wall weep."*
Kirishima held his breath. He wanted to speak, but the words knotted in his throat.
In that moment, a memory flashed before him:
Crouched on the hospital floor, phone in hand.
Mitsuki’s trembling voice: *"He’s alive... Kirishima... Katsuki didn’t die..."*
But he had only been a wall. He hadn’t cried. Not once.
Izuku turned away without another word.
Next Step: Momo’s Turn**
Izuku stopped in front of Momo.
He looked into her eyes.
*"You planned. You calculated. But no one ever asked what happens when a formula is multiplied by loneliness."*
Momo’s knees nearly buckled. She stared at the torn notebook page in her hand—a fragment she’d taken from Izuku’s analysis years ago.
She hadn’t drawn a single strategy since that day.
Because *"if he’s gone, who were the plans even for?"*
Her eyes welled up, but she didn’t look away. She held his gaze.
A ghost. An accomplice to a crime.
---
**Tenya Iida**
Izuku now stood before Iida—the embodiment of discipline and law.
*"You ran ahead. You led them all. But whose direction were you following from the start?"*
Iida’s jaw trembled.
A buried memory surfaced—kneeling at his brother’s side, praying for Izuku’s survival.
*"If he had lived... would we still be the same?"*
Iida simply bowed his head.
---
**Denki Kaminari**
Next was Denki. The smiling face, the voice that always laughed.
Izuku tilted his head slightly.
*"Smiling was easier than forgetting. But you never forgot."*
Denki’s eyes widened.
For the first time, his emotions were laid bare.
Years ago, in the 1-A dorm, he’d tucked a blanket over Izuku’s empty bed. He never told anyone.
But every night, he left the light on a little longer—facing where Izuku should have been.
Now, his blood ran cold.
---
**Ochaco Uraraka**
The next stop: Uraraka.
He looked at her. Long and deep.
*"You held on with love. But your hands were left empty."*
That word. *Love.*
Uraraka took a step back.
For the first time, she wanted to scream: *"Did you ever... love me?"*
But she didn’t ask. Because she already knew the answer.
And that answer was hidden in another’s eyes.
Her gaze flickered to Katsuki.
Izuku stepped away without another word.
---
**Tsuyu Asui**
When Izuku stopped in front of Tsuyu, her usual calm was tinged with something else—maybe sorrow, maybe quiet resignation.
Izuku inclined his head toward her.
*"Silent waters run the deepest. And sometimes, even frogs croak alone in the dark."*
Tsuyu shook her head slightly.
*"I never forgot you, Midoriya. But every time I said your name, everyone fell silent. So I buried it inside."*
Izuku closed his eyes.
*"What you bury will drown you if you don’t let it speak."*
---
**Mina Ashido**
Izuku’s steps halted before Mina. Her face was ice, but her eyes were like a child’s drawing on a window—fragile, yet stubbornly there.
Izuku studied her.
*"Being colorful doesn’t cover the color of pain. You always smiled. But your laughter... it went quiet where it mattered most."*
Mina’s eyes glistened.
*"When you were gone... I tried to make them laugh. Because someone had to."*
*"But no one made you laugh, did they?"*
Izuku’s voice was a whisper.
Mina lowered her head. She had no answer.
---
**Hanta Sero**
Sero had always been the glue. When the group fractured, he’d taped them back together.
Izuku faced him.
*"When they fell silent, you stuck the words back. But what do you do when the pieces won’t hold?"*
Sero exhaled.
*"I... Every time I reminded them of you, it hurt. So I changed the subject. So I... stayed quiet."*
Izuku smiled faintly.
*"But silence screams too. You just didn’t hear it."*
---
**Kyoka Jirou**
Jirou’s headphone cords trembled, as if echoing a heartbeat.
When Izuku stopped before her, she didn’t meet his eyes.
But his words pierced her:
*"You had music. Then you lost your voice. And after... you sang with silence."*
Jirou clenched her eyes shut.
*"I... couldn’t play that song again. After the war."*
*"'Hero Too'... That was for you."*
Izuku bowed his head.
*"And now... that Hero is calling you back."*
---
**Shoto Todoroki**
When Izuku faced Shoto, even the wind stilled.
Shoto’s eyes were still damp—the weight of his confrontation with Touya pressing down on him. And now, the boy before him... the only angel he’d ever believed in.
Izuku tilted his head slightly.
*"Born in fire. Sealed in ice. But no element could ever silence the scream of your childhood."*
Shoto’s eyes flooded.
*"You understood me best. But when you left... I became that child again."*
Izuku whispered with a broken smile:
*"That child is still there. But he’s not alone anymore."*
For the first time, Shoto bowed his head. And wept. Silently.
---
**Last. Katsuki Bakugo.**
When Izuku’s footsteps stopped, the earth itself held its breath.
Their eyes met.
But this time, there were no riddles.
Only silence.
Because words were useless now.
Izuku’s lips moved, but no sound came.
Just a gesture—a hand pressed over his heart.
And then, a whisper meant only for him:
*"I was your death, Kacchan. Now... you’re my life."*
Izuku turned back, sweeping his gaze over them all.
*"You couldn’t see me when I was alive. Now that I’m standing here, why do you deny me?"*
*"Because I’m the sentence you never carved on your gravestone. The word you all buried inside yourselves."*
Then—a sound.
From the depths above, carried by the wind... a familiar melody.
The lullaby of Starfall Night.
Touya’s voice seemed to echo:
*"If the red bird returns... the serpent awakens."*
Izuku closed his eyes.
*"And now... it’s time for the serpent to rise."*
He stepped back, standing at the center of their fractured circle.
Some wept. Some stood silent. Some were breaking inside.
*"I was the piece taken from you. Now I’ve returned. But my return... brings back what you lost with me."*
*"Each of you took on a role in my absence. Heroes. Leaders. The ones who smiled. The ones who endured."*
*"But now... it’s time to let those roles go."*
Silence.
Only the pulse of their own hearts filled the air.
And Izuku left them with one final shadow of a sentence:
*"Because we’re not an ending anymore. We’re the darkness before a beginning."*
---
**"This Is Only the Beginning"**
Izuku’s eyes traced over his old friends—their broken memories, their wounded stares.
He wasn’t choosing words anymore. The words were calling *him.*
*"All of you... became something in my place."*
*"Some went silent. Some forced smiles. Some led. Some pretended to forget."*
His gaze locked onto Shoto.
*"But all of you... chose to bury me while I was still alive."*
Uraraka shut her eyes.
Mina shuddered.
Sero’s hands shook.
Izuku took a step back.
*"This isn’t guilt. This is being human. But now... it’s time to dig up that grave."*
Katsuki lunged forward, fist clenched.
*"Again?! You’re turning your back on us again?! Like you did eight years ago?!"*
Izuku paused.
His gaze slowly turned.
*"I never left, Kacchan."*
*"I just fell from sight. Not from your hearts."*
Katsuki trembled.
*"Why did you hide?!"*
*"Why didn’t you speak?!"*
Izuku’s voice was almost a lullaby.
*"Because some wars are won in silence."*
Another step back.
*"Now it’s your turn. Because this... isn’t an ending."*
His eyes burned.
*"This is a beginning."*
**Then… he dropped something onto the ground. A burned page from an analysis notebook.**
Its edges were marked with symbols, and at its center—the coiled form of a serpent. *Ouroboros.*
Momo immediately knelt.
*"This... is heat-reactive ink. UA Engineering Department... but this data was erased from the system."*
Tsuyu pulled a stone from her pocket.
*"I have the same symbol. 'Hebi no Koe'... I found it among the remnants after the Commission's collapse years ago."*
Shoto stepped closer, examining the notebook.
*"These symbols... they're encoded in ancient Japanese script. 'When the red bird returns... the serpent awakens.'"*
Jirou whispered:
*"The lullaby from Starfall Night..."*
Iida lifted his head.
*"This plan... is still active."*
Izuku turned one last time.
Shrouded in shadows, yet still visible.
*"The path you followed... no longer belongs to you."*
*"The darkness I brought has grown inside all of you."*
*"But I won’t give you the answer."*
*"Because every riddle takes shape based on who carries its truth."*
His gaze locked onto Katsuki again.
*"You thought you were my end, Kacchan."*
*"But I... wrote your beginning."*
As Momo, Tsuyu, and Shoto aligned the notebook, stone, and seal—
The symbols pulsed with light.
A holographic projection flickered to life:
A hidden note from UA’s deepest data archives:
> **"Project Hebi No Koe | Version 0.5 — Active"**
> **"Status: Fragmented Awakening."**
> **"Location: Lost. Code: Ouroboros."**
Shoto’s necklace vibrated faintly.
Mina murmured:
*"What’s happening...?"*
Katsuki gritted his teeth.
*"He... dragged us into a game."*
As Izuku retreated into the shadows, his whisper lingered:
*"Those who seek me... must first find themselves."*
A final sentence.
Then—gone.
But not into a grave this time.
Into the first door of a labyrinth.
---
### **"Where the Mind Splits"**
When Izuku vanished, he didn’t leave behind mere silence.
That silence wasn’t emptiness—it was a scream echoing inside them.
He’d said nothing as he left, yet his words were louder than the quiet.
Katsuki’s feet twitched, as if to step forward. But he couldn’t.
He couldn’t swallow. His throat burned.
It was as if the past had handed him a shard of glass, forcing him to carve out the memories he’d ignored for years.
And then—
He clutched his head.
The first collapse began.
*"...Do you... feel it too?"* he rasped.
His voice was foreign. He didn’t even recognize himself anymore.
Shoto screwed his eyes shut. A knife of pain split his skull.
Tsuyu fell to her knees. It wasn’t her heart racing—it was her past.
Uraraka, Mina, Jirou… one by one, they crumpled.
Each gripped by a different agony.
But this wasn’t just a headache.
This was the scream of suppressed memories, violently clawing their way back.
And this scream couldn’t be silenced.
Then—
A sound like cracking earth reverberated.
But what was breaking wasn’t the ground.
It was *them.*
The locked drawers of their minds were being forced open.
---
### **"Awakening in Izuku’s Room"**
When they opened their eyes, they were somewhere else.
Time had frozen.
They were breathing, but their lungs filled with memories, not air.
The room around them—
Dusty, dim, yet familiar.
It was Izuku’s old dorm room at UA.
Everything was in place:
The notebooks lined up on shelves.
The faded All Might figurine.
The mud-stained red shoes by the door.
And on the desk—a single candle, burning alone.
Words were carved into the walls in shaky handwriting:
> *"The serpent cannot grow unless it bites its own tail."*
And directly opposite—a map, blood-red.
Strings connecting dozens of points...
Names. Symbols. Sentences.
Momo recognized a broken seal.
Tsuyu realized the stone in her pocket matched one on the desk.
Katsuki’s burned analysis page mirrored the writing on the wall.
The air in the room... was heavy.
And the candle’s flame suddenly flared—
As if the room itself had a heartbeat.
Then—
The symbols on the desk began to glow.
And they... *split apart.*
---
### **Katsuki Bakugo**
When he opened his eyes, he was back in their childhood neighborhood.
Rain poured.
His five-year-old self stood in a muddy street, screaming:
> *"You’re useless, Deku!"*
But this time, young Izuku didn’t stay silent.
His eyes welled up as he whispered:
> *"I always believed in you, Kacchan... even when you didn’t believe in yourself."*
Then—a sky engulfed in flames.
A notebook burned. But from its ashes, a single page remained:
> *"You were never alone."*
---
### **Shoto Todoroki**
He found himself back *that* night.
Touya was burning.
His father was screaming.
And he—just *watched.*
But this time, someone stood beside him.
Izuku.
> *"It wasn’t your fire that burned me. It was your silence."*
> *"But I... kept it alive for you."*
Touya turned to look.
His eyes weren’t blue.
They were ash-gray. Cold as ice.
> *"Will the Starfall Night... ever return?"*
---
### **Momo Yaoyorozu**
She was in the Commission’s underground archives.
Engineering blueprints surrounded her.
Files labeled *"Project: Hebi no Koe."*
But none of them existed in the system.
A seal…
A symbol…
And a voice:
> *"You tried to protect us. But you never asked what you were protecting."*
---
### **Tsuyu Asui**
She walked alone through a swamp.
A long, black serpent emerged from the mud, slithering toward her.
It didn’t speak.
They simply locked eyes.
Then—her own voice came from its mouth:
> *"I was his voice. Now... I must find my own."*
---
### **Denki. Mina. Jirou. Sero. Iida. Uraraka.**
Each walked through their own void.
Jirou heard her mother’s voice as she played *"Starfall Night."*
Kirishima found himself in front of a punching bag—hands bloodied from years of training after Izuku’s death.
Sero saw the screams in the eyes of the silenced.
Iida tried to reach his brother, but chains bound his feet.
Uraraka faced Izuku’s obituary in a hospital hallway.
Denki looked into a mirror—and the reflection, a child, spoke:
> *"You forgot him with a smile. But I’m still crying."*
**"Awakening — After the Tremor"**
A sharp *crack*—and the world returned.
But this was no peaceful awakening.
When Katsuki opened his eyes, the first thing he noticed was… *silence.*
A muffled, deafening silence.
As if a bomb had gone off beside him, and the shockwave was still shattering his mind.
He opened his mouth—but he couldn’t hear his own voice.
He tried to push himself up, but his knees buckled. His hands were numb.
With a grunt, he forced himself to stand—only for his vision to spin.
And he collapsed back onto the stone floor, hard.
A groan tore from his throat, but he still heard *nothing.*
Not even his own heartbeat.
Shoto’s eyes were open, but his consciousness was still at war inside.
His body was rigid.
His hands—cold as ice.
When he tried to rise, putting weight on one shoulder—
—his wrist trembled.
He managed to sit up—only to gag, clutching his stomach as he doubled over.
He gasped for air, but it was like his lungs had forgotten how to breathe.
Tsuyu crawled on her knees, hands clutching her head.
Not like a frog—like a human.
A scream was trapped in her throat.
But it wouldn’t come out.
Her vision blurred.
Her ears rang.
And her mind was still sinking into the swamp.
Momo. Kirishima. Jirou. Denki. Mina. Sero. Uraraka. Iida.
All of them—crushed under the same weight.
Their burdens were different, but the effect was the same:
*A shattered mind. An exhausted body.*
They tried to call each other’s names—
But everything came out a whisper.
And those whispers didn’t even reach their own ears.
Denki touched Mina’s arm.
But his touch met no response—like hitting water.
Jirou fumbled for her earphones, but the cords trembled.
Sound?
There was none.
It was like the world had muted itself.
Sero staggered as he tried to steady Momo.
His knees gave out.
*“Momo…?”* he rasped, but his voice choked.
He was afraid of his own sound.
---
### **First Contact – A Name in the Silence**
And then—
Iida’s voice tore through the void.
**"IZUKU!"**
It *rang.*
As if sound had been returned to the world.
They all flinched.
That scream yanked them out of the dream—but left an echo in their hearts.
Katsuki lifted his head.
The silence had shattered.
But his mind was still a battlefield.
They looked at each other.
Bruised. Broken. Exhausted.
But sharing the weight of the same nightmare.
Tsuyu was the first to stand properly.
She uncurled her arms, her gaze locking onto Momo.
*"Is everyone…"* she whispered.
*"Is everyone... here?"*
Momo nodded silently.
But tears streaked down her face.
Jirou pressed her jack into the ground.
As if she could pull rhythm from the earth itself.
But only silence played.
Shoto took a deep breath.
He stood.
Shaky—but upright.
His eyes lifted, meeting Katsuki’s.
*"What you saw… I saw it too."*
Katsuki didn’t answer.
But he held out his hand.
And Shoto took it.
This wasn’t a reply…
It was a *vow.*
---
### **The Candle Still Burned**
When they turned back to the desk…
The candle was still there.
Despite everything, it hadn’t flickered.
Beneath it, a single line was carved:
**"If you walk alone this time… the path will swallow you."**
For the first time—
Slowly, unsteadily—
They rose *together.*
And for the first time, they didn’t just *look* at each other…
They *saw.*
Chapter 46: Where Frozen Flames Weep
Summary:
**"When the ice cracks in the glass garden,
the eye within can no longer hide.
If the eye opens... the Shattered Mother will speak
❄️🔥🍷🐍💠
Chapter Text
Those Who Remain from the Debris"**
Dust.
Dirt.
And a silence that tasted of blood.
Katsuki first felt the ground with his hands. The ashes of burnt notebook pages still clung to his fingertips. He tried to push himself up onto his knees but lost his balance. When he hit the ground again, he didn’t just hear his own pain—he heard the others crashing down too. One of them collapsed with a muffled groan.
Shoto was beside him. His face was pale; even the sweat trickling down the scar on his forehead hadn’t had time to dry.
Yet he still slung an arm over Katsuki’s shoulder.
*“We have to get out,”* he said.
His voice was as faint as a whisper carried away by the wind.
But it gave direction.
They clung to that whisper.
Mina was crawling at the edge of the group.
Her pupils were dilated.
She stared at her own hands as if nothing she had just held belonged to her.
Denki was bent like a snapped wire, leaning on Momo’s arm to stay upright.
*“My head…”* he muttered, then fell silent.
Because it wasn’t his head spinning—it was his memories.
The child from his dream was still there, flickering behind his eyelids.
Tsuyu dragged her left leg behind her.
As if she were still wading through a swamp.
But between her lips, a murmur escaped:
> *“A snake cannot grow without shedding its skin.”*
They could barely walk.
But if one fell, another would grab their arm.
No one spoke—not yet.
It wasn’t just their bodies that were broken—their trust was too.
Yet within that brokenness…
they leaned on each other and moved forward.
When they reached the end of the tunnel, the cool night air hit their faces.
The fresh air didn’t fill their lungs—it burned.
They climbed a hill.
It wasn’t Saketo.
Just a safe stopping point.
And there, one by one, they collapsed onto the ground.
### **The Riddle That Speaks in Silence**
The first to speak was Iida.
A scratch marked his cheek, his glasses crooked.
> *“Do you know what was on that wall? Not a symbol…*
*…it was like a map. But there was no name at its center.”*
Momo bowed her head.
The notebook in her lap flipped its own pages.
A blueprint resembling Izuku’s sealed journal.
> *“Inside a room… there was a system locked with electricity. Could it be Hebi no Koe?”*
Jirou pressed her hands to her ears.
But this time, she wasn’t listening for sounds—she was listening for silence.
> *“Starry Night… was playing in my dream. But in reverse… slow, heavy.*
*The music was like a timeline… the notes counting down.”*
Shoto lifted his head.
Moonlight fell across half his face.
> *“Touya… looked into my eyes. But… he wasn’t himself.*
*And Izuku told me:*
*‘I kept him alive for you.’*
*What… did that mean?”*
Katsuki spoke when the others fell silent.
He was on his knees.
His hand dug into the dirt, nearly forming a fist.
> *“I… saw his childhood.*
*The day I yelled at him.*
*But this time… he had an answer.*
*And one line:*
*‘You were never alone.’”*
He stopped.
His eyes still searched for Izuku, but he couldn’t find him.
Tsuyu pulled a stone from her pocket.
An embossed mark glowed at its center.
From within the stone, an echo—like Izuku’s voice—whispered:
> *“Each of you… carries a piece of me.*
*But only when you read them together… does the meaning emerge.”*
Sero lifted his head.
*“Are we trying to solve riddles,”* he said,
*“or… ourselves?”*
A wind blew.
A few scattered pages lifted from the ground.
One landed in front of Katsuki.
It was faded.
But still legible.
> *“This isn’t the end, children.”*
*“The game is just beginning.”*
*“If the bird awakens in Saketo… the stars will whisper their secrets.”*
Another silence fell.
But this time, the silence wasn’t emptiness—it was a moment of decision.
With weary bodies, they turned to one another.
Their eyes were bloodshot.
Their hearts still ached for Izuku.
But… within that fracture,
there was still a path.
And none of them were alone anymore.
### **Saketo Hill — In the Shadow of the Red Bird**
The wind atop the hill blew unlike anywhere else.
The sky wasn’t clear, but it wasn’t dark either.
As if the heavens themselves were undecided… just like one of them.
When Shoto took his first step onto the hill, the earth beneath his feet… felt like ash.
This was familiar.
This was where he had first noticed Touya’s power as a child.
Where those blue flames first rose to the sky,
where a boy had screamed, *“I exist too!”*
only to be met with silence.
Now… he was back there.
And on the hill stood a stone.
A single word carved into it:
> *“Remember.”*
The heroes had been silent.
But the storm inside them was louder than silence.
Because suddenly… Shoto’s voice was heard.
A faint murmur at first…
But it was a lullaby he recognized from childhood.
🎵 *“A red bird flies, the sky falls silent…”*
Mina turned her head.
Jirou’s eyes welled up.
Momo wasn’t even breathing.
Uraraka pressed her chin to her chest—they all recognized that lullaby from somewhere.
But to them, it was just a melody.
To Shoto… it was Touya’s voice.
🎵 *“One wing burns with embers, the other frozen in ice.”*
🎵 *“I wrote its name in the stars, even if our father forgot.”*
Shoto knelt.
Pressed his palms into the earth.
His eyes were closed, but his lips trembled.
> *“Touya… that lullaby…”*
*“When I was little and cried from fear…”*
*“When I hid… he would find me and whisper it.”*
*“He never said ‘I love you’ outright. But he made me memorize this.”*
*“It was written for me.”*
🎵 *“Our home was a garden of glass, a blue flower placed inside.”*
🎵 *“Everyone who touches that flower burns a little, freezes a little.”*
Momo shut her eyes.
*“The blue flower…”*
*“The glass garden…”*
It was describing their home.
And that home… had been ruined years ago, by both fire and silence.
The wind rose.**
**Behind the hill, a red bird figure turned.**
**But this wasn’t a person—it was Hawks’ symbol.**
**And before their eyes, it materialized like a projection:**
> *“If you’re reading this, Shoto…*
*then you’re carrying your brother’s story now.”*
Hawks’ voice echoed, but it sounded like a recording.
Laced with grief, longing, and surrender.
> *“I am not the Red Bird.*
*But for years, I carried its eyes.”*
*“I didn’t keep Touya Todoroki alive.*
*Izuku did.*
*He was the one who held him in the shadows, who wrote his name in the stars…”*
*“I was just… the voice.”*
Shoto opened his eyes.
Looked up at the starry sky.
But one of the stars seemed to be falling.
Crimson.
Shoto stood.
> 🎵 *“Even if I couldn’t touch you, I wrapped you in my voice every night…”*
🎵 *“If your skin trembles one day, remember me in silence…”*
> *“I was so angry at him…*
*but he never forgot me.”*
*“He wrote my name… in the stars.”*
*“And that flower… was my mother’s tear.”*
Katsuki stepped closer, silent.
But he didn’t know what to say.
Because this was Shoto’s moment.
Momo whispered softly:
> *“That child’s voice is still here.*
*Izuku turned this bird… into a symbol.”*
Denki added:
> *“So this riddle… isn’t about Hawks, isn’t about Touya…*
*It was Izuku’s own rescue plan from his childhood.”*
Tsuyu held up the stone.
The symbols glowed.
All of them aligned.
And their common point merged into a single word:
> *"STARS"*
Everyone gathered back-to-back at the center of the hill.
As Shoto murmured the last line of the lullaby, tears streamed from his eyes:
> 🎵 *“I’m still like someone who could never say your name…*
*but I always kept it memorized in my heart.”*
🎵 *“I wrote your name in the stars…*
*…my baby.”*
And then…
*“If the red bird returns…”*
*“…and if the snow falls again…”*
Mina whispered:
> *“We’ll find the door.”*
A whisper was heard on the hill.
Like Izuku’s voice carried by the wind:
> *"Look up at the sky."*
*"I’m there."*
And for the first time… they all looked up at the same time.
And beyond the clouds,
a red-winged bird,
wounded but flying,
appeared.
The night was cool, but loneliness no longer touched them the same way.
Shoto still murmured the end of the lullaby into the wind.
But this time, the melody wasn’t just an echo of the past—
it was like a compass for the future.
> � *“Our home was a garden of glass, a blue flower placed inside.”*
🎵 *“Everyone who touches that flower burns a little, freezes a little.”*
Shoto straightened up on his knees and suddenly turned his head.
> *“That garden… was our old winter room.*
*Mom… used to grow flowers there.*
*There was only one flower among the glass walls.*
*Always blue. Always alone.”*
Momo blinked.
*“Is this a metaphor? Or… an actual place?”*
Shoto shook his head.
*“No… it’s real. That flower even had a name. Mom called it ‘Aisubue.’*
*Its blue was so intense it could’ve cracked the glass.*
*But one day, it vanished.*
*Father erased every trace of it.”*
> 🎵 *“The first snowflake you held in your hands… might have been our mother’s tear.”*
🎵 *“Don’t turn your back, even if snow falls on your shoulders.”*
Katsuki rubbed the ash between his fingers, his hands pressed into the stony ground.
> *“Everything in this lullaby… is a kind of symbol. But also… a map.*
*Snow, glass, flower, stars… It’s a cipher.”*
Denki snapped his fingers.
*“Glass house: the south wing of the estate.*
*Blue flower: Rei’s isolated garden room.*
*Snow: that day… the winter Touya burned.*
*The coordinates… all lead there.”*
---
### **The Words That Unlock the Truth**
Shoto bent down and wrote the lullaby in his notebook.
He began underlining:
*“Our home was a garden of glass”* → The southern winter garden
*“A blue flower placed inside”* → The Aisubue flower
*“Everyone who touches that flower burns, freezes”* → Rei’s breaking point
*“If the red bird returns and the snow falls again”* → Touya’s return + winter’s symbol: Rei
And then… the final line:
> 🎵 *“I wrote your name in the stars,*
*Like a burnt child’s prayer.*
*And I said:*
*‘God, don’t make him like our father.*
*Make him a hero.*
*But first…*
*Let him stay my brother.’”*
Shoto closed his eyes.
> *“This… was Touya’s last way of loving me.”*
Katsuki stood.
Without brushing the ash from his shoulders, he took a decisive step forward.
> *“Then we’re not waiting.”*
*“Not UA… We’re going back to the Todoroki estate.”*
*“Because some secrets… aren’t buried in hero schools, but in families’ hidden gardens.”*
Uraraka pulled out the stone fragment Izuku had given her.
Every time Shoto sang the lullaby, the stone pulsed with a blue glow.
As if the flower was still alive.
Tsuyu whispered:
> *“If someone’s still watering that flower… maybe Rei is still waiting.”*
Jirou murmured:
> *“Maybe… murmuring in silence.”*
The forest leaves didn’t stir.
It was a starless night.
And that night, it wasn’t the sky that shone—it was the darkness inside them.
The heroes, weighed down by the lullaby, lay scattered like shattered silence across the earth.
Katsuki clutched his head, struggling even to breathe.
Shoto still remembered his mother’s flower—one side frozen, the other searing with flame.
Uraraka’s eyes didn’t move; the voice of Izuku she’d grown used to was no longer a whisper, but a roar in her skull.
And then.
From the hillside, someone began to clap.
*Clap.*
*Clap.*
*Clap.*
Each clap felt like something snapping inside their chests.
Moonlight spilled through the trees, revealing the man.
The Fallen Hero.
His cape was burnt, reduced to a black shadow draping past his knees.
On his face was that familiar, nauseating, all-knowing smile.
> *“Well, well…”*
*“So you’ve chased after a name written in the stars, a blue flower, and a glass garden.”*
*“How… romantic.”*
*“But you’ve been lost for weeks, kids.”*
Katsuki gritted his teeth.
He stood, but his knees trembled.
> *“What do you want?”*
The Fallen Hero stepped forward.
His feet didn’t seem to touch the ground.
His shadow stretched taller than the trees, taller than their pasts.
> *“Me?*
*I don’t want anything.”*
*“I just wanted to remind you… that your ‘hero,’ the one hiding the truth, has become a game master now.”*
He smiled.
> *“Izuku…”*
*“Ah, your sacred, innocent, martyr of a hero…”*
*“Now he whispers riddles.”*
*“And while you kneel at his grave…*
*…he invites you into the labyrinth.”*
Kirishima suddenly jerked upright.
His throat was tight.
His eyes burned with fury.
**"The devil had gone silent until you arrived—why did you show yourself again?!"**
**"The silence... carried our grief with respect.**
**Then you came, and all our memories began to rot.**
**Why did you return?"**
The Fallen Hero stepped closer.
Their eyes locked.
His voice cut through Kirishima like ice:
> *"Because your memories were already rotten."*
*"I simply gave you back... their stench."*
*"You were happy thinking Izuku was alive, weren’t you?"*
*"He lived. He returned. He gave you hope."*
*"But you... don’t know what to do with hope, children."*
*"Because you learned to live at his grave."*
*"Now that he’s pulled you out of it... your identities have crumbled."*
Shoto clenched his fists.
His voice cracked:
> *"What do you know about him?!"*
The Fallen Hero tilted his head.
His lips moved, but his gaze remained fixed.
> *"Me?"*
*"I know what he’s hiding."*
*"I know why... he only ever speaks to you in riddles."*
*"Because Izuku is no longer your brother, your friend, your teammate."*
*"He is now 'Hebi no Koe.'"*
*"A slithering memory,*
*a half-finished plan,*
*a ghost trying to resurrect the dead of the past."*
Uraraka bowed her head.
Her eyes welled up.
> *"He’s still Izuku."*
*"He’s still... fighting for us."*
The Fallen Hero smiled.
But it was a predator’s smile.
> *"Keep telling yourself that."*
*"But to him, you are just... pawns."*
*"Because Izuku no longer just lives in the past."*
*"He rewrites it."*
*"And you—you’re not in love with the truth of yesterday."*
*"You’re in love with its ghost."*
At that moment, the wind howled.
The Fallen Hero pulled out a black cloth from his pocket.
On it was a map marker—a coordinate system.
But it wasn’t just coordinates:
Torn from the lullaby, it bore a scorched verse:
> 🎵 *"If the ice cracks in the glass garden,*
*The eye inside the flower cannot hide."*
🎵 *"If the eye opens... the Shattered Mother will speak."*
He flung it at Momo.
When the cloth hit the ground, the earth split.
A tremor ran through them.
As the Fallen Hero turned away, he said:
> *"Go to the Todoroki estate."*
*"But don’t... go just for answers."*
*"Sometimes answers... break you further."*
*"In that garden, it won’t be the blue flower speaking..."*
*"...but a woman buried in silence."*
*"And then... you’ll face your true name."*
He took a step.
The shadows swallowed him whole.
And all that remained...
was a shuddering breath,
a fractured faith,
and the traces Izuku had left behind—once again.
Buried Screams in the Glass Garden**
The heavy iron gates of the Todoroki estate creaked open with the groan of the past.
Even moonlight seemed hesitant to touch this house.
Here, the darkness belonged not just to the night… but to history itself.
Beneath every stone lay a scream, behind every pane of glass echoed a silence.
When Shoto took his first step, his breath caught in his chest.
This house, where hell and ice had once reverberated through the same walls… now whispered softly:
*"Welcome home, son. The past has been waiting for you."*
The footsteps behind him were hesitant.
Katsuki, head bowed; Uraraka’s eyes brimming.
Kirishima’s face was tense, Denki couldn’t find words.
They were all there: Momo, Jirou, Mina, Sero, Tsuyu...
Those who had once laughed together… now stepped into the shadow of the past.
### **The Glass Garden**
When the door to the glass garden opened, one of them held their breath.
Cracked tiles underfoot, withered blue flowers…
But it was still there:
A frail chair.
A gray cardigan draped over it.
And Rei Todoroki.
Silent.
Frail.
Yet unbowed.
The vase in her hands held a single flower.
An *aisubue*… faded, but stubbornly alive.
Like a mother.
Rei lifted her head.
When she heard her son’s footsteps… the first tear fell.
This was the confession of a lifetime of guilt, held in silence—now spilling from her eyes.
> *"Forgive me, Shoto,"* she said.
*"I couldn’t protect you."*
Shoto’s knees buckled.
The child inside him spoke for the first time in years.
> *"You never saw me."*
*"Never heard me, Mother."*
*"You only ever watched me… like a broken shard of a mirror."*
Rei tried to step forward, but her legs trembled.
With shaking fingers, she touched Shoto’s face.
Where the burn was… it still ached.
> *"I loved you without ever saying your name."*
*"But… your father… deprived me even of love."*
*"If I loved you, I thought it meant he had won."*
*"The boiling water… I never meant for it to hit you."*
*"I wanted to throw it at *him*."*
Katsuki’s eyes flashed.
The fury on his face mingled with the exhaustion of Izuku’s absence.
> *"What do you know about Izuku?"*
Rei flinched.
Her hand reached for an old drawer.
From it, she pulled out a yellowed, dusty document.
Stamped with the Hero Commission’s seal.
The title was chilling:
> **"Project GEN-X: Consciousness Transfer and Revival Protocol."**
Momo’s voice was a whisper:
> *"This is… a project to preserve a mind and life data… in another body after death..."*
Rei began to speak.
Her voice was like a fragment of a torn letter.
> *"We thought we couldn’t save Touya."*
*"But he became 'Subject Lost' in these records."*
*"Endeavor… registered him in the system."*
*"And then… he thought of you, Shoto."*
*"If you weren’t strong enough… he wanted to prepare you too."*
> *"I stayed silent. Because… I was guilty."*
*"I saw his reflection in your face."*
*"And I was afraid."*
*"The boiling water wasn’t meant for your resemblance to him—it was for my own fear."*
*"That night… it wasn’t just my motherhood that died."*
*"My humanity did too."*
Shoto was crying.
And for the first time… he wanted to *understand* the past.
Instead of anger… he listened.
Then—
Outside the glass, a shadow appeared.
A silhouette.
A pair of eyes…
Watching them in silence.
Izuku.
His face wasn’t visible.**
**But he pressed a note against the glass with his hands.**
> *"Some mothers don’t kill their children.*
*They just... stay silent so they can live."*
*"Sometimes, life is worse than death."*
*"And I... came back to show you this hell."*
**Katsuki shot to his feet.**
> *"Why won’t you talk to us?"*
*"Why are you hiding behind riddles?"*
*"You left us at your grave, and now it feels like you’re using us!"*
**Izuku’s voice fell over the garden like an echo:**
> *"Because you... buried me in that grave."*
*"And now I... am speaking from inside it."*
**Then… the shadow vanished once more.**
---
**Hidden Room: The Recording**
**Rei knelt down.**
**She placed the blue flower in her hand onto the ground.**
**It was as if the flower had taken root.**
**The earth beneath it trembled.**
**A small compartment opened.**
**From it emerged an old-fashioned recording device.**
**Shoto picked it up.**
**The screen flickered to life with a dim light.**
> *"Names written in the stars... are reborn in the earth."*
*"And those who are reborn... come to demand answers."*
**Rei, her eyes filled with tears, whispered softly:**
> *"That recording... brought Izuku to me."*
*"I only searched for one night... in your father’s room.*
*I saw his name among those who had been reborn."*
*"And in that moment, I understood... our guardian angel... was always in the shadows of this house."*
**The footage on the recorder flickered.**
**A child’s crying.**
**A silhouette gazing at a blue flower.**
**And a voice:**
> *"I wrote your name in the stars... because the earth forgot you."*
**Now, it wasn’t just the past speaking.**
**The earth, the flower, the glass, the mother, the son, the shadow…**
**all were screaming at once.**
**And the sky was still silent.**
**But now... even the sky hadn’t forgotten them.**
---
**Shoto picked up the recorder with slightly trembling hands.**
**The flickering screen seemed to sync with the rhythm of his heart.**
**The only sound breaking the silence was the faint hum of the device.**
**The video recording began—an old, dark laboratory.**
**A man in a white coat watched a young boy—Touya—strapped to a bed, eyes closed, breathing uneven, but alive.**
**The man’s voice played from the recording:**
> *"Subject 1: Touya Todoroki.*
*Despite severe physical burns, consciousness remains stable.*
*Revival protocol ongoing.*
*Selected as the first prototype for consciousness transfer."*
**Shoto’s chest tightened.**
**The truth was now undeniable—Touya was alive.**
**But as a test subject... trapped in an experiment.**
**The recording shifted to another young boy: Izuku Midoriya.**
> *"Subject 2: Izuku Midoriya.*
*Alternative prototype.*
*Consciousness transfer process complicated.*
*Subject exhibits subconscious resistance.*
*Protocol: Continuous observation and intervention."*
**Rei’s hands shook.**
> *"Endeavor wanted to use his children to secure his legacy.*
*He saved Touya… but only as an experiment.*
*And Izuku… he was chosen as a 'prototype.'"*
**Katsuki demanded angrily:**
> *"So Touya’s still alive… but trapped in an experiment?*
*And Izuku? What’s his role in this?"*
**Shoto closed his eyes.**
> *"Izuku was Touya’s backup, his reflection… an experiment.*
*His fate was darker than we ever imagined."*
---
**Momo whispered:**
> *"Why… was this kept hidden?"*
**Rei answered:**
> *"Because it wasn’t the families in control—it was the Commission.*
*And the worst part? These children… weren’t fighting for their own lives.*
*They were fighting as part of an experiment."*
**Silence fell.**
**Each of them struggled to process the truth they now held.**
**Izuku’s riddles, Touya’s mystery…**
**All of it was part of the same dark game.**
---
**As the air grew heavier in the shadowed room, a deep silence settled.**
**And then, once more, the Fallen Hero appeared.**
**His eyes weary but sharp, ready to open the dusty book of the past.**
> *"Ah, how quickly the years pass, don’t they?*
*Eight years ago, these heroes—as you knew them—were dead.*
*But was that the truth? No.*
*The children you thought were dead…*
*were actually alive on an experiment table.*
*In the Commission’s most secret project.*
*On the edge of death… but not quite."*
**The heroes listened in silence. The darkness in their eyes deepened.**
> *"Endeavor’s dark project didn’t just keep Touya and Izuku alive—*
*it used them as test subjects.*
*In dark hallways, cold laboratories,*
*their bodies imprisoned, their souls at war."*
**A cold, mocking smile crossed his face.**
> *"Here’s the crucial part: Izuku didn’t just escape that hell.*
*He took Touya with him.*
*But the cost was heavy.*
*A mind slowly fading,*
*a soul fracturing…*
*A hero teetering on the edge of madness."*
**His laughter echoed through the room.**
> *"And now you wonder, why didn’t he return for eight years?*
*Because he knows the Commission*
*would hunt him down to make him a test subject again.*
*He fears, he hides, he vanishes…*
*He speaks in riddles, leaves no trace,*
*because otherwise… he’d be chained once more."*
**His footsteps slowly approached the heroes.**
> *"And Izuku?*
*He left that hell behind,*
*refused to be a pawn.*
*Now, he’s the game master.*
*And I’m telling you—*
*the Commission’s dark secrets*
*run much deeper than you think."*
> *"If you want to solve the riddles,*
*prepare yourselves;*
*because the real game starts now."*
**As he vanished like a shadow, he whispered:**
> *"Eight years… a journey in the dark.*
*And know this…*
*at the end of every path,*
*there is always a riddle."*
**As the Fallen Hero’s shadow faded from the room, the remaining heroes stood shaken, nearly collapsing.**
---
**Now, only the weight of the truth remained.**
**The weight they had been forced to carry for years now crashed down on them with full force.**
**The truth…**
**had clawed its way through the lies and struck them mercilessly in the face.**
**Katsuki’s hands trembled, his jaw clenched.**
**Shoto’s eyes were closed, taking deep breaths—but the storm inside him refused to settle.**
**Rei knelt silently, tears streaming down her cheeks.**
**Momo sat at the front, her fists tightly balled.**
*"What… do we do now?"* she whispered.
**Tsuyu responded with a heavy exhale:**
*"Secrets hidden for so long…"*
*"They’ve shattered everything we thought we knew."*
**Denki leaned forward, covering his face with his hands:**
*"Izuku… Touya…"*
*"We lived as if we’d lost them, but in reality… they were prisoners in an experiment."*
**Jirou spoke in a choked voice:**
*"And now…"*
*"The Fallen Hero says the game is just beginning."*
**Katsuki finally stood up sharply, his voice a roar:**
*"Enough!*
*Hiding and fearing for eight years means nothing now.*
*Izuku is alive, and even if he’s Hebi no Koe, even if he’s lost his mind—it changes nothing. He’s still my Izuku. We have to stand by him.*
*We’re the ones who’ll break this game!"*
**Shoto rose as well, his voice steady:**
*"Right.*
*But to do that, we need to understand our enemy.*
*The Commission is still after us.*
*And as the Fallen Hero said, the riddles aren’t over yet."*
**Momo added firmly:**
*"We move together.*
*We find Izuku and Touya, uncover their story.*
*And we expose the Commission’s secrets."*
**They all looked at each other.**
**The fear in their eyes had been replaced by a fire—ready to fight.**
**Tsuyu murmured:**
*"Maybe it’s time… to step out of the shadows of the past."*
**The Commission’s massive meeting hall was as cold and silent as the void.**
**Those seated at the top could hear the footsteps of the monster they had created.**
**Their dark schemes and secret experiments, woven like a web over the years, were slowly unraveling.**
*"The details of the experiment from eight years ago have been leaked,"* said the Commission President, his voice shaky but forcibly composed.
*"Hebi no Koe—Izuku Midoriya’s true identity—has been exposed.*
*And with it, Ground Zero and the remaining 11 Stars have declared open war.*
*The public is rising. The flames of revolution are spreading.*
*Our future is being dragged into a dark abyss."*
**At the far end of the table, a man sat quietly, sharp eyes scanning the room.**
**Hawks.**
**His gaze was the greatest enigma in this collapse.**
**A traitor, a shadow—yet the one holding the strongest cards.**
**The one who had infiltrated the Commission’s deepest secrets.**
**Every move in Hawks’ mind was calculated.**
**He was the one who had leaked intel to Izuku, who had saved the heroes from the Commission’s grasp, who had rewritten the rules of the game.**
**But no one knew his true face.**
**Was he an ally? Or a dark puppet?**
**Panic surged within the Commission.**
**Rumors spread that documents had been leaked by a mysterious revolutionary.**
**This revolutionary was exposing the Commission’s most classified experiments, corruption, and dark dealings to the public.**
*"A structure that has tainted heroism in the eyes of the people,"* the President said. *"We can no longer hide."*
**Another member spoke in fury:**
*"Ground Zero and the remaining 10 Stars’ rebellion is a fight for survival for us.*
*They’re planning to destroy us.*
*But the real danger is inside. The traitor walks among us."*
**As Hawks quietly left the room, he whispered with a cold smile:**
*"The winner of this game… will be the one who holds the darkest secrets."*
**Outside, as the public uprising grew, the Commission’s heart continued to beat in the shadows.**
**But now, the war was open—and merciless.**
**And Hawks, as the hidden master of this war, was shaping the fate of both the heroes and the Commission.**
**When they left the Todoroki family’s cold, heavy walls behind, their footsteps were silent but resolute.**
**They arrived at a hidden safehouse far from the city—a small refuge where battle-worn bodies and weary minds could finally breathe.**
**Gathered around a table, tired eyes met.**
**Wrinkled faces carried exhaustion and deep sorrow.**
**But the will to live, to fight, still burned in their gaze.**
**Shoto looked at the table quietly.**
*"What the Fallen Hero told us… the truth about the Commission.*
*These dark secrets, hidden for so long, have been consuming us—and the public."*
**Tsuyu took a deep breath, her gaze distant:**
*"When these games end, how will we protect the people?*
*When even trust among us has been shaken…"*
**Ashido shook her head slightly:**
*"We’ve been fighting for years.*
*But when will we ever be happy?*
*When can we finally put this burden down?"*
**Sero shrugged, adding:**
*"The riddles multiply, the strategies stretch longer.*
*But we’re still human… We don’t want to break."*
**Jirou closed her eyes, breathing softly like music:**
*"But we can’t give up.*
*This war is ours.*
*Yet my heart… still longs for other things."*
**Katsuki stood up slowly, slamming his fist on the table:**
*"Enough.*
*We’re tearing out the roots of this Commission filth.*
*We’ll protect the people.*
*But this isn’t just about strength—it’s about strategy."*
**The table fell silent.**
**Each of them felt the exhaustion—and the resolve.**
**After a moment, Kirishima took a deep breath and spoke softly but firmly:**
*"We’re tired of this game. But we won’t give up.*
*One day, we’ll truly be happy.*
*One day, we’ll live not as heroes… but just as people."*
**The darkness around the table lightened slightly.**
**They had to stand together, shoulder to shoulder.**
**And so, at the dawn of rebirth, hope, and facing hardship, the heroes leaned over the table to forge new plans.**
**To break the dark games, protect the people, and win their inner battles.**
---
**Under the dim lights of the hideout, the heroes gathered around the table.**
**Walking the thin line between exhaustion and despair, the determination in their eyes had not faded.**
**Shoto spoke, his fingertips lightly touching the table:**
*"Izuku’s return… gave us hope, but it also brought riddles.*
*Every move, every word—they’re unsolved signs, compasses pointing the way."*
**Tsuyu added softly:**
*"We’re struggling with these riddles.*
*But now, we can’t just solve them—we have to build a new path from them."*
**Ashido smiled faintly:**
*"This isn’t a path to walk alone.*
*We need new allies.*
*The longing that grew with Izuku’s return is one of the forces holding us together."*
**Katsuki, his fiery gaze unwavering, said firmly:**
*"For him, for everyone…*
*We have to tighten our strategy.*
*Find the Commission’s weak points and use them to protect the people."*
**Jirou nodded slightly:**
*"New allies… who could they be?*
*Hidden resistance fighters, former heroes, or those still lurking inside."*
**Kirishima spoke up:**
*"And most importantly, we have to trust each other more.*
*Izuku’s return isn’t just his rebirth—it’s all of ours."*
**Fingers traced over maps, documents, and computer screens on the table.**
**Each of them debated new plans—to dismantle the Commission’s dark games, protect the people, and reignite the flames of freedom.**
**Shoto’s eyes gleamed:**
*"The heart of our strategy must be controlling information.*
*The riddles Izuku left are keys to exposing the Commission’s secrets.*
*Every step holds a new clue, a new opportunity."*
**Jirou added:**
*"Our longing for Izuku fuels our fight.*
*With his leadership, we’ll break these dark games."*
---
**The night deepened, but the fire in their hearts burned brighter than ever.**
**The game was far from over.**
**But for the first time in years… they had a real chance to win.**
Chapter 47: HORIZON-13: Rewriting the Stars
Summary:
They turned heroes into files... so we'll burn their archives to the ground."* 👑💫
- *"Some truths don't need screams. Just the right frequency to shatter glass🍷🐍
Notes:
Please don't forget to leave a comment – I love you! 💖**
*If I don't end up writing a special episode, we'll definitely make 'I Wrote Your Name in Riddles' the grand finale in Chapter 65. I've already written all remaining chapters (including 65) – they're just waiting to be shared. Please keep reading! Love youuu guyss!* ✨"Wrote Your Name in Riddles' or burns brighter with a special episode, every word is already written in blood and cipher. Stay with me until the last page screams THE END. Love you to madness. 🍷🐍💥
Right now, I'm simultaneously publishing two other stories alongside *I Wrote Your Name in Riddles* – plus a brand new university AU universe I've just started writing! Please give them a read too:**
🔹 **Velkrashar Lunakai**
🔹 **The Dream We Never Named***Don’t forget to check them out! Love you all, and thank you! Also, pleeease don’t forget to leave comments – I’m dying to know your reactions! There must be parts you’re curious about, especially with all the mysteries in *I Wrote Your Name in Riddles*!* 💫
Chapter Text
Shadows of the Fallen — The Secret of the Fallen Hero and His Allies**
Time seemed to stand still in the shelter.
No ticking clock, no breath…
Only the uncertain gazes of weary heroes under the dim glow of a flickering light.
Then—
A tremor ran through the walls.
As if the air itself recoiled, oxygen thinning.
And from the shadows echoed the sound of boots.
Footsteps crushed the dusty stones of the shelter as a voice pierced the heart of the night:
*"You’ve tangled yourselves in riddles again..."*
Katsuki shot up in anger.
*"You again?! You appear and vanish whenever you damn well please!"*
But the Fallen Hero only smiled.
He was tired, yet his smile remained sharp—still cunning, still mocking.
He swept his dark cloak aside, his eyes scanning each hero one by one.
*"You have so many questions.
So few answers.
But the time has come..."*
He dropped a heavy file onto the table.
On it, a sealed envelope and a note:
> *"Two thieves open the door to revolution.
> One follows with the heart, the other breaks chains with words."*
Shoto stared at the paper.
*"This… another riddle."*
The Fallen Hero:
*"This riddle will lead you to La Brava and Gentle Criminal.
Two allies who have long dwelled in the shadows—ones Izuku trusted."*
Kirishima frowned.
*"They're… former villains. Why now?"*
The Fallen Hero spoke with a knowing glint:
*"A hero is more than just a title.
Sometimes, those branded enemies… open your eyes to the truth.
Right now, they are closer to what you wish to be:
Free."*
The file on the table slowly opened.
Inside—an old map, an encrypted USB, and a note wrapped in red ribbon:
> *"Where voices fall silent, screens will speak.
> An attic becomes the stage for a thousand cries.
> Go there.
> A recording awaits you."*
The Fallen Hero leaned in, locking eyes with Jirou:
*"Your ears will hear it.
Because this voice… only unlocks with the right frequency."*
Katsuki gritted his teeth.
*"Why do you always lead us with riddles?!
Just speak straight!"*
The Fallen Hero answered in a lower, yet more chilling tone:
*"Because blunt truths are the Commission’s language.
Those who walk in darkness must learn to read symbols."*
Shoto took a step forward.
*"So these two… they’re the key to the revolution?"*
*"No,"* said the Fallen Hero, eyes gleaming.
*"They are not the lock on the door…
They are the ones who will show you how to forge the key."*
And then—
The shadows swallowed him once more.
But this time, he left behind more than riddles—hope and direction.
The heroes around the table exchanged glances.
They were tired.
Broken.
But now, they had a new path, a new clue to rise again.
Izuku’s shadows were still with them.
And this new journey lay hidden in the hearts of those once called criminals.
---
**Pieces Added to the Chessboard — The Path Between Heart and Screen**
### I. Shelter: The Moment of Decision
Around the table in the shelter, exhaustion lingered in the heroes’ eyes—but it was not surrender.
Each of them reread the documents left behind by the Fallen Hero.
Every word a riddle, every letter a clue.
Katsuki tapped the table impatiently.
*"The names are familiar. La Brava. Gentle Criminal.
The system once called them villains."*
Shoto nodded.
*"But that same system used us… tried to make us kill our own.
Maybe… we need to rethink who the real criminals were."*
Jirou turned the Fallen Hero’s note over, fingertips brushing the paper:
*"An attic becomes the stage for a thousand cries."
"It’s a place… but also a sound. A memory. A record of revolution."*
Tsuyu blinked slowly, speaking softly:
*"La Brava’s old broadcast studio…
Gentle’s first stage…
That place might still be alive."*
Uraraka straightened her shoulders.
*"We have to go.
If Izuku chose them… there’s a reason."*
And with silent resolve, they all nodded.
They were stepping into the next phase of this shadowed game.
This time, the key lay in two former "criminals" who fought with their hearts
II. The Shadow’s Throne Room**
Meanwhile…
In an unknown corner of the city, deep beneath the streets, inside a cracked and crumbling throne room…
**Hebi no Koe**—once known as the hero **Izuku Midoriya**—leaned back on his dark throne.
Before him, a chessboard.
The pieces were unusual: each one bore the likeness of heroes, Commission members… and himself.
As a red piece shifted, he whispered:
*"The pawns are in position.
But this time…
It won’t be the bishop moving diagonally.
It’ll be the heart."*
He leaned forward.
His eyes were bloodshot, crimson dripping from his nose onto his shirt.
Yet his voice remained steady—the voice of a genius teetering on madness.
*"Gentle… La Brava… The time has come.
Are the cameras ready?"*
Screens flickered to life.
La Brava’s hologram appeared, her eyes trembling but full of resolve.
Gentle adjusted his coat with a theatrical bow:
*"A revolution… born on screens once more?"*
Izuku laughed—a sound caught between amusement and exhaustion.
*"This time… we play from the shadows."*
His hand knocked over a queen on the board.
*"To every screen where the people’s hearts still watch…
We won’t send a bullet.
We’ll send the truth.
Not our faces—just the lies, exposed."*
La Brava whispered:
*"But are they ready?"*
Izuku wiped the blood from his nose.
*"No.
But there’s no turning back now."*
And once again, they prepared for the unknown—a hidden broadcast, an unseen hand’s move.
The boy on the shadowed throne was building his kingdom not on fear, but on the hearts of the people.
---
### **If the Screens Burn, the Hearts Will Awaken**
The abandoned attic, swallowed by night, seemed forgotten.
Our heroes emerged from a rusted elevator shaft, climbing steps worn by time.
Sero was breathless.
*"This place… it was a broadcast hub once, wasn’t it?"*
Jirou adjusted her headphones, peering through broken glass.
*"There’s still an echo inside.
A voice that once turned into a scream."*
When Uraraka pushed the door open, the scent of an old radio studio filled the air.
Dust swirled as a red light flickered.
Katsuki stepped forward, tense.
Then—a voice echoed from the speakers.
Soft, yet unshaken.
Feminine, yet firm.
> *"So you came."*
La Brava sat in the corner, a laptop glowing red in her lap.
Behind her, Gentle Criminal stood—still theatrical, but now with a graver air.
Gentle murmured:
*"When the system silenced us, one thing remained:
Our voices, carried through screens."*
Shoto took a step forward.
*"Will you help us?"*
La Brava shook her head.
*"No."*
*"We’ll fight beside you. This isn’t help. We’re just on different fronts of the same war."*
And at that moment—
The massive screens behind them flickered to life.
Static buzzed before Izuku’s voice filled the room.
At the same time, alarms blared in the Commission’s underground communications room.
Agents scrambled, directors screamed at monitors, technicians fought to cut the feed—
But it was too late.
One screen burned brighter than the rest.
Izuku’s voice, as **Hebi no Koe**, rang out:
> *"You thought we forgot.
But we memorized every lie."*
Blood dripped from his nose.
Behind him, the chessboard. Before him, the screens.
> *"Gentle was your 'reserve' villain.
La Brava, the shadow in your records.
But now… they’re reading you your final lines."*
An agent shouted:
*"Find the source! Cut the transmission!"*
But the signal kept jumping.
La Brava’s fingers danced across the keys, Izuku’s voice resurrecting itself again and again.
> *"You thought we were pawns.
But this game… is no longer chess.
This is remembrance."*
When La Brava finally pulled her hands from the keyboard, her eyes were wet.
Gentle gave her a silent glance.
Katsuki muttered:
*"This… was just the beginning, wasn’t it?"*
La Brava nodded.
*"Izuku laid out the plan.
With you. With us. And… with the darkness inside him."*
Shoto leaned against the wall.
*"What’s the next move?"*
Gentle adjusted his coat.
*"Before the world hears…
We must reach the heart of the Commission."*
And from the shadows, a new command echoed:
> *"If the red bird returns…
The truth will awaken."*
---
The shelter was silent again.
The portable screen La Brava had brought glowed on the table, symbols flickering—sometimes a flower, sometimes a bird.
Gentle removed an old watch from his wrist and placed it on the table.
Inside was a thin lens. When La Brava scanned the screen with it, new text appeared:
> *"The red bird only returns when snow falls.
Snow is the password to the file room."*
Katsuki’s eyes sharpened.
*"File room?"*
La Brava nodded.
*"The Commission’s oldest underground branch…
They claim it’s abandoned, but we traced signals there."*
Shoto stared at a burning symbol—
A blue flower sketched over a glass garden.
Jirou murmured:
*"Rei Todoroki’s emblem.
There’s a passage beneath the glass garden."*
La Brava reached into her pocket, pulling out a small chip.
*"This belongs there.
But only one person can activate it."*
Kirishima blinked.
*"Who?"*
La Brava smiled.
*"Encrypted with Hebi no Koe’s permission…
Meaning one of us must decipher his voice."*
Then—
The metallic click of the door lock turning.
Familiar boots echoed in the shelter.
*"Am I late?"*
**Hawks.**
His coat was singed, exhaustion weighing on his gaze—yet that same ironic smirk still played on his lips.
He dropped the bag onto the table.
When opened, it revealed yellowed envelopes, sealed documents, and a notebook.
On its cover, a single word:
> **“HORIZON-13”**
Katsuki’s voice trembled.
*"This… is an experiment code."*
Hawks didn’t look away.
*"The place where Izuku and Touya… 'didn’t die.'"*
---
*"These documents,"* Hawks said, *"hold the proof of the Commission’s project from eight years ago—'Controllable Forces.'"*
*"It explains why they silenced you. Why they turned you into files. Why they cut all signals the moment Hebi no Koe took the stage."*
Uraraka whispered:
*"So… the war never ended.
It just changed direction."*
Hawks nodded.
*"And now, you’ll decide its course.
These aren’t just for exposure.
They’re the Commission’s weak points. Security gaps. Paths to their archives."*
La Brava pulled up another symbol on the screen—
A star, encircled by eleven rotating points.
Gentle Criminal added:
*"This represents the inner structure of the 'Star Council.'
Former leaders who broke away from the Commission.
This war won’t end until we reach them."*
Silence fell over the room.
Documents in hand, riddles in their minds, the pain still burning in their chests…
Finally, Shoto spoke:
*"We’ll reach the heart of the Commission."*
Katsuki turned to Hawks.
*"You’re our wings."*
Hawks winked, like striking a lighter.
*"And you… are the ones who’ll rewrite the stars."*
Chapter 48: Where the Snake's Voice Calls & Born from Ashes
Summary:
"Be Hebi no Koe, be a mastermind in the shadow of a labyrinth, be Deku, be Izuku… Even if I forget your name, I won't forget your scent. I won't forget the green of your eyes."
— Katsuki Bakugo 💥💣🐍🍷
Notes:
Here I am with a very long chapter. With this chapter, we pull back the curtains of the past a little more.
Do you think our heroes will make it out of this situation? Stay curious, my dear readers!
Because we are in the midst of mystery, impossible love, secrets, betrayals, prophecies, riddles, and war.
Keep reading to find out, my readers!
And please write your comments. I am eagerly awaiting your questions! Love you, guys
💥💣🐍🍷🫀⚡
Chapter Text
Escape from Hell —
8 years ago, Horizon-13 Experiment Complex — Clearance Level: Silence.
This was a tomb that echoed with silence. Only the faint hum of machines and the irritating clicks of cameras hidden in the walls could be heard. What lay behind the cold walls no longer belonged to humanity.
Two cells. Two"dead" children. But both were still breathing.
Touya had his back against the wall. His body was covered in burns,but a single spark still remained un-extinguished in his eyes. He had almost forgotten his name. He had been called"dead."
But he was still whispering his sibling's name: "Shoto…"
Izuku was in another cell. His eyes stared at an empty point,but his mind never fell silent. Every analysis,every change, every sensation… They all echoed off the walls of his brain.
He had one hand clenched into a fist, with the other he was trying to draw a symbol: A snake.
And that night… The systems fell silent. The red warnings did not light up. Because Hawks had come from within the shadows.
Cloaked in black, he had hidden his wings. But his eyes were breaking at everything he saw.
When he saw Touya… his heart almost stopped. The child whose name he hadn't even known years ago,whom he had watched, was now behind a glass wall, abandoned to die.
"I... I have always loved you,unable to explain," he whispered.
When he came to Izuku's cell, the system resisted. The codes didn't recognize him. But he activated a virus he had written and planted inside beforehand.
When the door opened, Izuku's eyes moved. He only asked one sentence:
"Touya... is he alive too?"
Hawks nodded. "Yes.And tonight, we're getting out of here."
The escape wasn't easy. Because the Commission guarded these two children like weapons. But that night,Hawks… fought like a real hero for the first time. What he was protecting wasn't the system,it was humanity.
One for his heart, The other for his conscience…
And as they fled, Touya said one sentence:
"If we die, they win again. But if we live…we will bring an end to this system."
Izuku, dipping his fingers in blood, wrote on a wall:
"Hebi no Koe." Meaning,"The Voice of the Snake."
Flashback to Now: Silence Around the Table
In the safe house, when Hawks fell silent, everyone had bowed their heads. The documents were no longer just writing;they were blood ties. It was Katsuki who broke the silence again:
"So… why are you speaking now?"
Hawks turned his eyes to Shoto. "Because now...there is someone who hears your voice."
In the Shadow of Snakes — The Plans of Hebi no Koe
Location: Unknown, underground "Throne Room"
Codename: "Heart of the Snakes"
A dim light fell on the board. The chess pieces had been moved from their positions. Some were upside down,some seemed to point to another game beneath the ground.
Izuku was sitting alone. He was surrounded by symbols carved into the wall. Each one contained the voice of a person he had made contact with in the past—a scream,a word, an end.
A thin trickle of blood seeped from his nose, but he was still smiling. Small snakes,slithering like black ribbons, were in his hands. Each one whispered silently,some coiled around his eyes, some wrapped around his fingers.
Izuku leaned down to one. His whisper was almost childish:
"You still coil around his hand, don't you?" "Kacchan’s…"
He paused for a moment. A shadow fell over his face. Then he began to speak. To himself,but actually to millions:
Izuku's Internal Monologue:
"I was a hero. Then I was turned into a weapon. Then I forgot what I was."
"But that night… when Touya's fingers touched my hand, I remembered. I wasn't created by the system,nor by fate. I was…an unchosen child. But I learned to walk close to the ground,like a snake."
Izuku stood up. He approached a board showing names,symbols, and masks connected by red strings.
La Brava — "The Eye"
Gentle Criminal — "The Voice"
Hawks — "The Wing"
Katsuki — "The Star"
Shoto — "Flame Sealed in Ice"
And at the very bottom, in an unopened envelope, was a single word:
"Shigaraki."
Izuku looked at the envelope for a long time. Then he spoke softly:
"I still pray for you, brother. Because what was taken from you that night wasn't just your Quirk. There was a childhood never given to you,a love never offered to you. We never sat and played'snake' with you… But one day we will. Not now. But when that day comes…"
He ran his fingers over the snakes:
"... there will be no system left to hold our hands."
Izuku turned back to the board. He placed a new piece: "Blue Flower"— Rei Todoroki's symbol.
Then one more: "Red Bird"— Hawks.
And he whispered:
"Those who remain, those who haven't forgotten their wings… With them,we enter the heart of the system."
New Plan's Password:
He wrote three sentences on the wall:
🗝 "If it snows, the bird returns." 🗝"If a star falls, the door opens." 🗝"If the child does not cry, the revolution has begun."
He placed his final piece. "The Hammer." This time,it represented himself. "Hebi no Koe."
And he sat at the head of the board, and bowed one last time. "Now…" "The children lost forever...are returning to the stage."
The Gathering in the Tower — The New Order's First Plan
Ten people sat in silence around a cold stone table. Three things were placed on the table:
La Brava's holographic symbols.
An encoded audio recording brought by Gentle Criminal.
And a sealed envelope from Hawks' bag.
When the envelope was opened, the title of the file inside was:
"Commission Protocol: Ground Zero"
As Iida read the documents, sweat dripped from under his glasses. "This...is the Commission's complete collapse plan. It shows where they will retreat if they lose control,which data centers they will destroy, and which heroes they will sacrifice."
Katsuki slammed his hand on the table. "So they want to erase us not just from the field,but from history itself."
La Brava turned on her small projector. A symbol appeared:a broken star trapped inside a keyhole.
"This," said La Brava, "represents the Commission's final non-public digital library. The data is held here,but access is only possible with an 'active star' code."
Jirou narrowed her eyes. "Active star…you don't mean Ground Zero, do you?"
Shoto answered without turning his head. "And Hebi no Koe."
Gentle Criminal interjected: "So this lock...it requires both of them. Without Izuku and Katsuki,this data cannot be opened."
Momo pointed to the notes and a map she had laid out on the table.
1. Point: "Shadow Archive" — The Commission's last digital data point.
2. Point: "Zero Level" — A sealed underground laboratory.
3. Point: "Mirror Room" — The main server of the public manipulation center.
"If these three are brought down, the Commission loses all its information and the public awakens."
Tsuyu: "But they know that too. They're waiting for us to go there."
Hawks interjected: "That's why we must execute two plans." He pulled a second envelope from his pocket.A masked face symbol appeared from within.
"This is the last coordinate given by Hebi no Koe. There is another backup data center: Codename:House of Memories. That is where Rei Todoroki's blue flower is hidden."
A moment of silence. No one spoke. Only Shoto bowed his head forward.
"All this war, all these plans… When do you think we will be happy?"
Kirishima swallowed. "I don't know. But if at the end of this war,not just they, but we also survive… maybe."
Katsuki stood up. He tucked an envelope inside his jacket. "I'm still alive for him. For Izuku."
Uraraka closed her eyes. "All of us...we already stood up for him."
1. Momo, Iida, Jirou, Sero, and Mina — will infiltrate the "Shadow Archive."
2. Shoto, Tsuyu, Uraraka, Gentle Criminal — will carry out an operation on the "Mirror Room."
3. Katsuki and Hawks — will go to the "House of Memories" with Hebi no Koe.
Everyone bowed their heads. But this time,something was different.
This was no longer just about revenge. This was to rewrite history.
Departure from the Silent Tower
The tower, buried within the night, was like the ruins of that hero school that once rose with hope. The stone walls did not speak,but the footsteps echoing within them were calling out names that had been silent for years.
Katsuki had just bandaged the wound on his back, but what truly ached was the void still burning inside him. Hawks,walking beside him, kept his steps light, but his eyes refused to be silent. He took the sealed envelope and handed it to Katsuki. "Only one person can reach the House of Memories.And that is... someone who bears his trace."
Katsuki gripped the envelope tightly. "If this is his trace,then I'm already on my way."
Momo and her team were advancing down another corridor. They had the old-style seismic recorder from Jirou's bag. The Shadow Archive was hidden deep underground; and Jirou whispered: "The sound here...it's still as if it's screaming."
Mina smiled. "It's not just the past...maybe it's screaming because we're still alive."
As Shoto walked between Uraraka and Tsuyu, he clenched the locket in his pocket. Gentle Criminal showed them the route he had provided earlier. "The Mirror Room...only reflects the eye. But whoever looks correctly sees the face behind it."
Shoto's eyes shone not with anger this time, but with a silent resolve. "If there is a flame born from my father's shadow... This time,I will light it myself."
The Commission — The "Ashes" Room
An underground meeting room, suffocated by white lights. Every face had turned ashen. Every breath had become a number.
The Vice President, struggling with the data projected on the wall, shouted: "All initiatives are simultaneous.This isn't a coincidence, it's an uprising!"
An agent whispered: "We got a signal from the'Silent Tower'. Katsuki Bakugou and Hawks...are heading towards the House of Memories."
Hands slammed on the table. Poisonous words spun in the air:
"We fed that bird. Why is he now spreading his wings for that lunatic?"
The President answered: "Because that bird...was always born in a cage. But now he knows himself."
The title of the new plan laid out on the table:
🔒 "Operation: Ashes"
False data would be planted before the heroes reached the target zones.
The Mirror Room and Shadow Archive were set to self-destruct.
The House of Memories was reconfigured to be accessible only with Endeavour's biometric data.
If the data is stolen, counter-false information is prepared to manipulate the public.
And… the most dangerous option is discussed: "Using Touya as bait to capture Hebi no Koe."
"Operation Ashes" is Initiated
A button was pressed. A virus was sent into the Mirror Room's internal system,initiating a countdown. In 20 minutes,the system would self-destruct.
The entrance to the Shadow Archive was resealed. But the old seal codes were still active… Because someone inside had"forgotten" to deactivate them.
And the House of Memories… It was reconfigured to open only with Endeavour's biometric data. But someone had already copied this data: Hawks.
The Broken Voice Inside the Commission
Someone was walking alone in the darkness. Under their shadow,a seal… On it,only this was written: "The Red Bird returns at night."
As Hawks read the new document in his hands, he felt alienated even from his own voice. "Izuku...was once a child. And I was just a cage that knew how to fly. But he...showed me the sky."
He added in a whisper:
"And now I... will clear the path for that snake."
Three teams... Three doors... And three different fates.
But they were all, walking in the middle of a labyrinth, drawn by the same founder of this game.
"Is the truth found before it is destroyed, or does it shine brightest when it is burned?"
In a room surrounded by a metallic coldness where even the white walls seemed to repel light, only one idea prevailed: The ends justify the means.
A senior Commission official pointed to the map glowing on the screen before him. “The area where Touya Todoroki is located is under surveillance. If Hebi no Koe is truly connected to him... He will come there.”
Another asked: “And if he doesn't?”
The Vice President answered without blinking: “Then we will drag him there.”
“Are the Strike Teams ready?”
“Ready.”
“Satellite link?”
“Active.”
“Data dissemination?”
“The manipulated news will hit social media in 9 minutes. The public will see Touya as a threat.”
Silence fell.
And right at that moment, all the screens in the room went dark simultaneously. This wasn't a voice coming from them; it was leaking from within the system itself. Codes were resetting,data was corrupting.
And then… That voice.
“Were you going to touch Touya?”
Not one screen. All of them.
All the interfaces projected on the white walls had turned black. A sound of electricity... And then,a sentence appeared on the screen. In a faint,green font...
“Snakes move silently.”
The screens began to flicker. Each one opened with a green line. Then the image that appeared: The silhouette of Izuku Midoriya.
But this wasn't the innocent child they knew. This… Was a snake smiling with the intelligence of darkness.
“You are so interesting. For years you silenced me,forgot me, buried me… But look how well I speak now.”
A laugh was heard in the darkness. Izuku's shadow was turning a chess piece.
“Touya is going to be bait? I held that boy's hand and escaped from hell. What were you doing at that time,huh? Signing paperwork?”
A silhouette appeared on all the screens in the center of the room. His face wasn't fully visible,but the voice… It was his.
“Touya is not bait.” “He is the king from the beginning of the game.”
The Commission President stepped forward. “Cut the connection!This system was shielded from external interference!”
But the voice continued: On one screen,Touya's cell records; on another, Izuku's analysis notebook. On another,the Commission's secret meeting footage. And on the largest one... The letter Rei Todoroki had secretly written.
“If you harm Touya…”
“I will burn not only your system… But also that‘perfect hero world’ you don't even want to name. I WILL BURN IT.”
A screen cracked. Literally. The tension was so high it created a physical vibration.
Izuku clasped his hands together as if in prayer:
“You think this is a game. It is not.This is a war. And I am the one who writes its rules.”
“You buried me eight years ago. But what you didn't know... I was the one digging the grave.”
One screen showed childhood footage of Touya. Another,Rei Todoroki's lab records. On another…a secret drone image of Katsuki carrying Touya.
And on the largest one:
Izuku Midoriya was speaking,turning a chess piece with his fingers in his throne room amidst the shadows:
“If you touch Touya, I will make the public forget your memories.”
“The entire system you built, The lies you uphold, They will turn to ashes.”
Izuku leaned forward, closer to the camera. His face wasn't fully visible,but his eyes were shining. In the gaze of a child was the fury of a revolutionary.
“You forgot my name. But I have memorized...every single one of you.”
“And you… still think you're playing chess. But I burned that board long ago.”
---
An alarm began to blare. One of the Commission officials shouted,trembling:
“This... is a live broadcast! This isn't just inside the system, it's leaking out!”
“You think you're still in control. But I've been watching you for years. Because I am no longer a child. I am Hebi no Koe.”
“And snakes shed their skin but never forget their direction.”
📍 System Shutdown:
All the screens shut down at once. With one sentence:
“This is just the beginning.”
“The Name of Fear”
📍 Commission Headquarters – Internal Security Room
The screens went black. That ominous,humming silence fell.
The Commission's central headquarters, once behind the state's strongest walls, had now been brought to its knees by a child.
The Vice President turned, breathless:
“CUT THE SIGNALS! DISCONNECT THE EXTERNAL NETWORK COMPLETELY!”
A technician who entered was drenched in sweat:
“The connection is already severed, sir! But...he didn't infiltrate from the outside... SOMEONE ACTIVATED HIM FROM WITHIN.”
“What do you mean from within?!” the President shouted. There was uncontrolled panic in his voice. All the power in his veins…was trembling on the tip of his tongue.
One of the screens turned back on by itself.
But this time, it was only system messages:
🔒 "Protection Protocol failed." 🔥"Project: Flame and Poison — disclosed." 🧬"Live subject files exported." 📡"Satellite tracking sabotaged."
A technician collapsed into his chair: “It's all gone…everything's leaked…”
---
The elderly woman slammed her fist on the desk. Files scattered. Her pen broke. Only one sentence escaped her lips:
“Hebi no Koe…”
“That child... will become our nightmare”
Another voice broke the room's silence:
“A monster we created with our own hands…”
The President stood up quickly. He reached for the files. Secret mission codes,state documents… They had all become worthless.
“We were going to lure Touya into a trap… Midoriya is using that to bury us.”
The colonel next to him stammered: “Touya...might be expendable, but that child... Midoriya... We can't control him.”
The President hissed:
“We created him. We will destroy him.”
But his eyes trembled with fear.
“You can't destroy him,” one of them said quietly. “Because he is no longer one of us.”
Another advisor shouted in panic:
“So what do we do now?! Our plans have collapsed! Documents are leaked,we don't have media control! We can't go out into the streets!”
The President took a deep breath. His eyes stared into the void. With trembling fingers,he wrote only one sentence in his notebook:
“New target: Hebi no Koe. But this time...open war.”
But he refused to acknowledge one thing:
They were no longer writing the rules of this war. And they would not decide the winner.
A Break in the Silence
As they approached the Commission's old data archive, the outside world was already in chaos. But here,in the cold and dark, time seemed frozen. Stone marbles under their feet,shelves covered in a layer of dust, and their own breaths echoing in the silence.
Momo advanced with her data tablet; each step brought them closer to another clue. Iida,Jirou, and Sero were behind her. Each carried a spark within,but were uneasy.
When they reached the door, Momo's fingers trembled slightly. The old electronic seal was like a door that now lived only in memories. Iida took a deep breath and entered the old commands one by one.
The locks clicked open, and the door slowly creaked ajar.
---
Entry
As the door opened, cold air hit their faces. The shelves held the forgottenness of years. But among them,it was like a different beam of light: A box,dusty but with clear writing on it:
“Project Snake Core”
Just then, Jirou perked up her ears. Within the silence,there was a faint, vibrating sound only she could hear. It was as if a melody was playing among the shelves,but only for her.
“One wing burned, One wing frozen, The red bird returns again…”
The sound grew distant, then close again, echoing, as if it held a secret hidden within the archive's walls.
Jirou closed her eyes; she opened her ears wider.
“I wrote your name in the stars, Ice and fire united, And spoke in silence.”
Momo slowly approached the box. The lock on it wasn't any biometric lock, it was an older cipher.
She remembered a fragment of an old lullaby; it was connected to the riddle Izuku had left behind.
“If the red bird returns, And if the snow falls once more, You will find the door…”
Softly, she hummed the rhythm of the lullaby. The lock's tumblers began to click, and finally,the safe slowly opened.
---
Inside were old photographs, ID cards, and experiment reports. Momo picked up one card.
It read: “Subject No:11 – Todoroki Touya” “Subject No:17 – Midoriya Izuku”
The next page described an experiment protocol:
“As an individual's attachments increase, control difficulties multiply. Emotional bonds are debilitating.”
Momo grimaced. “This…is torture.”
--
Sero noticed a photograph in the corner of the box. It showed a child with empty eyes,surrounded by tubes and cables. The chill of that moment pierced their hearts.
“This isn't just an experiment, these are enslaved lives…” Sero said, his voice trembling.
--
Iida took a deep breath and made a decision:
“We must deliver these documents to Hebi no Koe. But not just to him.To the public as well.”
Momo raised her head.
“This is no longer a war of revolution, but a rebirth of conscience.”
Footsteps quickened in the dark corridors. Their hearts pounded as if trying to pierce their chests.
Momo held her data tablet tightly; Iida was clearing the path,Jirou was scanning the surroundings on high alert.
But in the archive's cold and suffocating air, Sero suddenly noticed a small box lying on the floor.
It bore the old, worn and faded Commission logo. "Wait!"Sero shouted. Everyone turned to look. Sero bent down and carefully opened the box. Inside was a bundle of documents, but among them were some that were different—carrying a mysterious map and codes.
His eyes shining, he gathered the documents. "We have to take this...this place is hiding more!" he said.
Hesitation and Return
"Hurry, come back!" Momo said, but Sero had made up his mind. "I'm going back!"he shouted.
Though Iida and the others protested, "No!", Sero was determined.
He quickened his pace, diving back into the dark corridors.
Explosion: The Gates of Hell
At that moment, a mechanical hum rose. A hidden timer in the depths of the dark archive was nearing its end.
KABOOM BOOMM.
The explosion echoed like thunder.
The heroes outside were thrown back by the blast's force. Dust,smoke, and debris flew through the air, mixing with a fiery red.
Iida was flattened on the ground, struggling to breathe. Momo's eyes were lost in the pitch-black smoke. Jirou writhed,the echo of the explosion ringing in her ears.
But there was no sign of Sero.
Those who made it out couldn't see him when they turned back. All he left behind were a few documents dropped from the box and the faint lullaby of a music box. In that moment,that sound, heard only by Sero's ears in the distance, was audible:
"The red bird returns, But sometimes wings are torn off…" "SEROOO!SERO!" Momo's voice trembled with panic.
Iida searched for Sero amidst the rubble, but the area was filled only with emptiness and wreckage.
"Someone answer him!" "Is he alive?Please answer, Serooo!" they shouted.
But there was no answer. Only the harsh screams echoing from within the wreckage in the distance.
Jirou collapsed to her knees. "They've taken another one from us..." "Again…" "We've lost someone again."
She couldn't stop the tears flowing from her eyes, but those beside her tried to hold her up.
But what was the truth? Was Sero alive?Or…
The heroes didn't know. All they knew at that moment was that they had been wounded deeply once more.
Chaos Outside
When they stumbled out the door, everyone was reeling from the shock of the explosion. Screams,chaos, panic… Amidst the burning buildings,everyone was searching for each other.
Momo, Iida, and Jirou tried to take a deep breath and pull themselves together.
But one of them silently collapsed to the ground. "We...we couldn't protect him..." they said.
The Red Bird Flying in the Darkness
In the sky, a red bird with wounded wings glided. And the heroes understood;this war was not over yet.
Mirror Room: Dark Reflections
At the end of the cold, silent corridors was a large door labeled "Mirror Room." Shoto,Uraraka, and Kirishima slipped inside quietly.
The room was filled with holographic screens. The walls,ceiling, and even the floor were covered in virtual images.
They stopped before the large door at the corridor's end. The words"Mirror Room" flickered in icy cold light. Shoto took a deep breath,his fingers trembling slightly but he was resolute.
The door opened silently, and they entered. The room was a massive dark mirror,every corner covered in holograms. Walls,ceiling, floor… A labyrinth where truth and lies intertwined.
Shoto's eyes were first drawn to the images wavering among the holograms. One screen showed a glorified version of Endeavor in a crowded square. But the reflections were different: In one scene,Endeavor's harsh gaze, people trembling in fear and helplessness around him. Another hologram showed him making plans in dark rooms behind the cameras.
Uraraka held her breath, "This… this isn't real," she whispered. Kirishima narrowed his eyes and advanced quietly; Another hologram showed scenes from the Todoroki family's history. Pieces depicting Rei's loneliness,pain, helplessness… Her father Endeavor's harshness,the silent nightmares lived in that house…
Shoto's heart was beating fast, complex emotions on his face. One hologram showed the chasm between the promises Endeavor made to the public and his actual deeds. "I will be a hero…" But in reality…"No one will know my dark plans…"
Shoto bit his lip. These truths had fallen over his entire family and his own past like a shadow.
Just then, a hologram silently glowed. It was a secret Commission document. It detailed the Todoroki family's dark secrets and manipulations. "If this is the truth,how will our past be saved?"
Uraraka said in a trembling voice, "We have to show this to the people…"
Kirishima shook his head, "Right. But first, we have to keep ourselves strong. Because this war isn't just against the enemy,but also against our own darkness."
As Shoto looked at the images on the hologram, a new riddle echoed in his mind: "No matter how deep the darkness,light will one day break through every armor…"
And in that moment, he had decided. He would either drown in the chains of the past,or he would ignite his own light. As the holograms slowly faded,Shoto's gaze rose from the floor; scattered on the dark ground were documents combining ancient parchments and digital data tables.
Uraraka bent down carefully, her pale hands picking up a document. It was written in transparent ink: "Reincarnation Protocol— Revival."
"What… What does this mean?" she whispered, her eyes widening.
Shoto approached and began examining the documents one by one. Line by line,explanations, experiment reports, secret operations… "Endeavor's name appears here frequently. This isn't just a hero's story, it's a scenario written in a lab."
Kirishima swallowed. "All these years,how much have they hidden from the public…"
Shoto continued gravely: "Revival technology… A secret project developed to bring dead heroes back. But there's no ethics,no humanity in this."
The documents were filled with details of biological experiments, genetic manipulations, and perhaps even work done on the very fragments of heroes'souls.
"And… Endeavor was the lead actor in this. Not just a powerful hero,but also the most important director of this project."
Uraraka closed the document with trembling hands. "But then…who benefited from this project? Who…is alive because of it?"
Shoto paused, a dark shadow appearing in his eyes. "I know.Because Izuku and Touya being alive is the result of this project. They…weren't just heroes, they were experimental material."
Kirishima closed his eyes, took a deep breath. "And we waited for them for years. But was this the truth?"
Shoto was silent for a moment, then whispered: "Yes…This was the truth."
Suddenly the holograms reactivated, projecting a dark scene. Moments of Endeavor watching experiments in a lab with cold,expressionless eyes.
"What was hidden from the public… is only a small part."
Uraraka couldn't hold back her tears. "All these years…heroes, trapped in a game far removed from heroism…"
Shoto slammed his hand on the table with fierce determination. "We will break this game. We will expose the truths. Heroism will no longer be just about masks."
In the depths of the cold Mirror Room, Shoto, Uraraka, and Kirishima were surrounded by the documents in their hands. Time was running out;the Commission's men had already mobilized.
Shoto's fingers danced across the keyboard, navigating through the holograms, as all the system's hidden files,experiment reports, and manipulation plans were transferred one by one to a USB drive.
"We're recording everything," Shoto said, his face a mix of determination and slight tension. As Uraraka carefully gathered the documents,she murmured, "If we have these… we can expose the truth."
Kirishima kept his eyes wide open, "But how much time do we have?"
In the last few seconds, the system's alarm sounds began to rise; red lights flashed. As Shoto transferred the last file,the words "Transfer Complete" appeared on the screen.
"It's done!" Shoto said. His heart raced as he placed the USB into its special protective case.
But the moment they tried to exit, the sound of crowded footsteps was heard from the other end of the corridor. "Attack!"Kirishima shouted.
When they got out the door, they were met with intense chaos. The Commission's mercenaries had launched an attack,along with crowds of people swarming the city.
But this crowd wasn't just a physical force; it was also a manipulated mass. To prevent the truths the Commission had hidden for years from being exposed,they had incited the public, throwing them in front of the heroes.
Shoto gripped the USB tightly, "We must protect the information! Both the people and this truth."
Uraraka looked around, "But these people… they've been turned into weapons."
Kirishima shoved an attacker back with his shoulders, "Our duty is to protect them, not destroy them!
The battle had begun. Explosions,screams, the clashing of metal on metal, laughter, and panic… Our heroes were both defending themselves and trying to protect the innocents in the crowd.
Uraraka created a soft shield in the air, blocking falling debris. Shoto tried to clear a path with his fire and ice powers,while Kirishima neutralized opponents in close combat.
But the density of the crowd and the speed of the attacks were wearing them down.
For a moment, Shoto collapsed to the ground, breathless, his eyes fixed on the USB. “This information…is our last hope…” he murmured.
Uraraka ran to his side, “We won't give up! We will end this fight.”
As Kirishima gathered his strength, he said, “We are here to protect these people and the truth. We will not give up!”
The city was writhing in the midst of a great battle that would decide the fate of the heroes and the people. The secrets inside the USB had become a thin line between light and shadow.
And the heroes, on this difficult journey, had to both expose the truths and keep hope alive.
House of Memories
At the end of the dark, dusty corridor, Katsuki and Hawks stopped. The door had been secretly opened with the data Hawks brought. Behind the heavy metal door,the shadows of the past were hidden.
Katsuki took a deep breath, complex emotions in his eyes. Hawks stood hesitantly before the door; “I can't enter here,Katsuki. This place is only... for you.”
Katsuki stepped inside without hesitation.
The room was like a worn but sacred temple. Letters Rei Todoroki had written years ago hung on the walls. In one corner was a confession written in trembling letters:
“I knew Izuku... His power, his destiny… I had to hide it,because this secret was the heaviest burden of our lives.”
Katsuki’s face was stern as he read the letter, but his eyes welled up. There was silence in the room,only the faint sound of an old fan whirring.
Right in the center of the room, inside a glass bell jar, stood a dried blue flower. Katsuki picked it up,his fingers gently touching the leaves. “Rei’s hope…”he whispered.
And right at that moment, the room suddenly went dark; a silhouette emerged from the shadows. Izuku... The silent ghost thought lost for years... Now,as Hebi no Koe, he emerged from the darkness.
Katsuki’s heart raced, his breath caught. “You…how?” he said, the words catching in his throat.
Izuku responded in a calm, deep voice: “This door opens only for us. Ground Zero and Hebi no Koe...Our fates are intertwined.”
Katsuki stepped forward and took Izuku’s hand. “I thought you had left me…”
Izuku smiled faintly, “I didn’t leave, I came back to protect you. This is just the beginning.”
Hawks stood outside the door, silently watching them from the sacred place he couldn't enter. He couldn't step inside,because this burden was theirs alone.
Katsuki and Izuku had come together again in the shadow of years and secrets. And now,they had to walk together.
The "House of Memories" was silent. Even time seemed hesitant to enter this room.
Dust motes danced in the beam of light filtering through cracks in the ceiling; the dried blue flower inside the glass bell jar in the center of the room was like a silenced scream of the past—pale but still there.
Katsuki stood a few steps behind Izuku, unable to take his eyes off him. Izuku’s back was turned. His shoulders were broader,his posture straighter, but... even in that silence, his scent, his breath… he was still Izuku.
Among the old documents spread on the table were the Commission's emblem, cryptic seals, letters written with Rei's tears, and encrypted formulas. As Katsuki opened one of the files,his lips parted:
“All these years... were they all here?”
Izuku didn't answer.
His eyes were fixed on a document, his fingertips tracing the lines of an ink-stained map. Katsuki glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. Izuku’s hands...were covered in scars and healed-over tattoos. The snake tattoo on his left arm seemed etched deep into his skin.
Katsuki could no longer hold back. He slowly approached. There was a longing in his voice he couldn't suppress:
“Can I touch you?”
Izuku remained silent again. But he didn't pull away.
Katsuki hesitantly reached out his hand. His fingers trembled as they touched Izuku’s tattooed arm,as if touching a ghost. Izuku still hadn't turned around,but he spoke almost in a whisper:
“I’m not that boy anymore.”
Katsuki didn't pull his hand back. His voice was broken but clear: “I know…but to me, you'll always be the same.”
Izuku slowly turned around. His eyes were dull,his face shrouded in shadows. But Katsuki could see the boy behind those eyes—the Deku who had been dying in his arms that night,his red shoes soaked in blood.
“Why did you bury me, Kacchan?” Izuku said suddenly. His voice was halting,but it held a thousand shattered nights.
Katsuki’s heart felt like it had been ripped out.
“Because… you were dead. Your heart had stopped beating. Your eyes were closed. I thought I had lost you. And I buried myself with you.” He took another step closer. “But here you are.You're different, maybe dark. But I still love you.”
Izuku averted his gaze. A bitter twist formed on his lips.
“I’m not Deku anymore. I am Hebi no Koe. The Voice of the Snake.”
Katsuki stared straight into his eyes. “Be Hebi no Koe,be a mastermind in the shadow of a labyrinth, be Deku, be Izuku… Even if I forget your name, I won't forget your scent. I won't forget the green of your eyes. I won't forget your hands, the first day you reached out to me.”
Izuku’s hand involuntarily came to rest on Katsuki’s chest. He felt his heartbeat.
Katsuki whispered: “I’m still hurt that you left me.But I understand you. And no matter what... I will stay by your side.”
Izuku closed his eyes. For a second, it was as if he had returned to that old childhood, to the boy hopefully scribbling in his All Might notebook. But then he opened his eyes again. The stern,controlled, shadow-speaking leader Izuku had returned.
“We won't fight alone this time, right?”
“No,” said Katsuki. “This time,with you, together... against the world.”
At that moment, the hidden door at the other end of the room began to vibrate from within. Blue lights rose from the floor. The door recognized only their presence.
This passage existed only for Ground Zero and Hebi no Koe. As the door slowly creaked open,it was as if the chains of the past were breaking, calling the war of the future to begin.
And the two hearts in the shadow had begun to beat side by side once more. The door opened gently from within the stone walls.It was as if it hadn't been touched by anyone for a thousand years; the sound it made as it opened resembled a sigh from the past. The dim blue light rising from within reflected on Izuku's face, cutting through the darkness. His silhouette, gliding like a shadow, seemed as unreal as a phantom in the light.
Katsuki hesitated for a moment. This wasn't just a physical passage. It was a door opening onto the entire burden of the past—of betrayal, pain, and loss. Izuku turned to him,on the threshold:
“Here, you will remember what you've forgotten, Kacchan.”
Katsuki didn't answer. He simply took a step. He crossed the threshold into the darkness with him.
The hidden room beneath the ground floor was surrounded by cold, stone walls. Water dripping from the ceiling echoed in the silence. Carefully drawn symbols covered every wall: snakes, tears, burned flowers, and blackened stars. Each one carried a trace of the past.
In the center of the room stood a massive table. It was less a table and more like a map. Beneath the glass were trapped burned papers, drawn routes, and strange symbols… All of it was Izuku's plan itself.
Katsuki bent over. His fingers touched a dried piece of paper under the glass.
“This… these are the names of our classmates…”
Izuku nodded slightly.
“I drew a path for each of them. A meaning for each. A place. A purpose. Because we can only win this war together.”
Izuku opened an old chest at the end of the table. From it emerged letters hidden by Rei, lines stained with tears. One of them,in shaky handwriting, said:
“I knew Izuku… I tried to protect him from Endeavor's eyes but...it was too late. If this letter is found,go to the place where I hid the flower. There you will hear the truth.”
Katsuki wanted to say something, but his voice caught in his throat. Just then, Izuku turned to another box on the table.
When he opened the lid, inside were glittering small glass vials, papers marked with symbols, and… another riddle-like message. Izuku read it slowly:
"When the sky screams, The earth below speaks. Whatever the mirror shows you, Your brother falls silent there."
Katsuki’s voice blended with his:
“This riddle… it’s about Touya, isn’t it?”
Izuku nodded. But his eyes were still fixed on a point in the darkness.
“It was all a game, Katsuki. And I am no longer a player. I am the one who sets the board.”
Katsuki clenched his fist. “But your heart is still there…isn’t it? Even if you’re the mastermind, the boy I love is still in there.”
Izuku was silent. But a slight tremor appeared in his eyes for a moment.
“I only opened this door for you,” he said. “Because only you…can still see me.”
And then he slowly moved closer to him. In a moment of silence,there was only the sound of their hearts. Izuku came close enough to touch Katsuki’s forehead, and whispered:
“This isn’t the final game. This is just the beginning…”
A new riddle unfolded in Izuku’s hand.
🜂 “If a star falls, it touches the shadow. If the red bird takes flight, The glass shatters. And all that remains, Is a child born from ashes.”🜂
“Are you ready?” Izuku said, holding out the riddle. “Because this time…we won’t lose each other, even in the darkness.”
Katsuki narrowed his eyes. “I’m with you.Until the end.”
And from the depths of the room, the past echoed once more: A child’s voice calling,“Kacchan!” But this time,not with fear. With faith.
Chapter 49: The Architects of the Game
Summary:
“While I turn to ash… you will still be the only one who knows how to fly.”
Touya Todoroki & Takami Keigo 🪽🔥❄️🩸🫀
Chapter Text
The door slid shut like a heavy stone settling into place. What was left behind inside wasn't just documents. A bloody shadow of Izuku's past remained there,as if seared into the walls.
Katsuki paused for a moment before the door. Izuku’s back was still turned to him. The darkness had wrapped around his shoulders,but Katsuki had seen that silhouette thousands of times. The silhouette of a rival,a friend, a child... and a lover.
But this silence... this was different. "De—" The words knotted in his throat.
Izuku turned slightly. As the moonlight touched his face,the dark circles under his eyes looked as if they had been carved there, like a labyrinth. That face…was familiar, yet at the same time, a stranger’s.
“You still think I’m that boy.” His voice was like a needle,calm and deep. “But I was buried,Katsuki. Not under the earth… but within the shadows.”
Katsuki took a step forward, “Whoever you are…You’re still you. You’re still my Izuku.” He reached out his hand,but Izuku didn’t pull back. He drew closer. He touched his cheek. “I survived for you.”
Right at that moment…
Something fell from the sky. At first,it was mistaken for a star. But when it landed…it was revealed to be a feather.
A red one.
The moment the feather touched the ground, it pierced through the earth. And from the soil... A seal opened.
A small, red circle. Inside it,an ancient symbol. 🜂 The sign of flame,air, blood, and prophecy.
Hawks fell to his knees. "This…this can't be real."
Izuku stepped forward. He knelt at the head of the seal. He ran his fingers over it. As if reading an ancient language.
“When the glass shatters, the shadows will reflect. If the red bird takes flight… The garden will burn.”
Katsuki held his breath. “Garden?”
Izuku slowly raised his head. Like a silenced hero who had forgotten how to cry at a child's age. “The Glass Garden. I will take you all there. But first… Remember what you buried there.”
As the stone door closed with a heavy groan, the voices echoing inside remained on the walls like the scream of an endless past.
Katsuki walked on silently, the precious documents in his hands. His face was pale. Every step he took echoed with the sound of a thousand pieces shattering in his heart. Walking beside him, Izuku was still silent, like a silhouette emerged from the darkness. As if he was still there,inside that room, conversing with the shadows of the past.
By the time they got outside, night had long since fallen, and the stars shone, tearing through the sky. Hawks was waiting for them. But he just looked.He asked nothing. He didn't need to.When his eyes fell upon Izuku, something collapsed inside him; like an old prayer. The child he thought he had lost long ago was still walking. But… He had changed.
Right at that moment... A feather fell from the sky.
A red one.
Katsuki looked up. A feather drifted through the air and landed. Izuku’s gaze turned to it at the same instant. As the feather landed,a small light flashed. A seal was revealed beneath it.
A symbol.
🜂
Flame and glass. Wing and fissure. A frozen spring within.
Hawks held his breath. He whispered:
“This… is the northern point of the old Commission Archives. Codename: The Glass Garden.”
Izuku walked over to them. He spoke for the first time. His voice was a whisper,but it held hidden lightning:
“The blue flower... it did not wither there. If the glass breaks,your voice will echo.”
Katsuki narrowed his eyes. “That’s another riddle,isn’t it?”
Izuku nodded. But this time,there was something in his eyes. A warning. A sacrifice. And… A belief.
“What you need to know before we go there… Is that when that glass shatters,it’s not just the outside that might break apart… But what’s inside you,too.”
Katsuki took a step forward without hesitation.
“We are willing to be shattered. As long as we can find our way through the darkness.”
8 Years Ago – Before the War, On a Quiet Spring Night
Even the birds had fallen silent.
Just before the sky darkened, a pinkish hue had settled over it. On the ground,where leaves stirred softly and on a blanket spread by the lake… Two silhouettes lay stretched out.
Touya had one arm behind his head, looking up at the sky. Hawks—Keigo—was quiet.But his eyes were fixed on nothing but Touya.
“The air is so clear today,” Hawks whispered. “As if nothing has happened yet.”
Touya didn’t respond. He just kept watching the sky. Then his lips moved.
“Sometimes I wonder…” he said slowly, “If I hadn’t burned everything…would you still have loved me?”
Hawks smiled. He didn’t hesitate. “Yes.I would have loved even your ashes.”
Touya turned his head at that moment. There was…a strange glint in his eyes. As if he had stepped outside of time itself.
“Then… promise me.” “In the future,when everything burns… You will search for a‘serpent’ among the ashes.”
Hawks frowned. “A serpent?” “Touya,what do you mean?”
But Touya had already turned his gaze back to the sky. “That serpent…will set you back on your path.”
“Me?”
Touya closed his eyes. “It will whisper a name to you.Perhaps an old melody. A lullaby… And you will protect it in my place. Because I…won’t be able to.”
Swallowing the emotion clogging his throat, Hawks answered: “I promise…but I don’t know what I’m promising.”
Touya shook his head slightly. “You don’t need to know. Just…remember when the time comes. And one day,when the ‘Red Bird’ returns… Your wings will match its wings.”
Hawks felt that something was wrong, but he fell silent at the final sentence from Touya’s lips:
“While I turn to ash… you will still be the only one who knows how to fly.”
---
Hawks was still kneeling before the feather. As he watched Izuku read the seal,those words from the past echoed in his ears. His eyes widened.
“The serpent…” “Hebi no Koe.”(The Serpent's Voice)
Was this the serpent Touya had spoken of?
Katsuki noticed Hawks was trembling.
“What is it?” he asked.
But Hawks just slowly rose to his feet. And lifting his head to the sky,he whispered: “I’m still flying,Touya. And now it’s my turn to protect that serpent.”
---
The Glass Garden – Among Broken Glass and Silent Flames
There was no wind. There was only time. And a man buried in time:Touya.
Moonlight seeped through cracked glass domes. The Glass Garden...was once a forgotten escape point for the Todoroki family in the darkness. But now it was a tomb for a memory,a nest for a prayer.
Touya was standing. Before him...a glass table, on it,a dried blue flower. And in every reflection:the ghosts of the past.
His hands trembled. He pressed his reddened,scorched fingertips against the glass. “Shoto…”he whispered, “I loved you…not just as a brother, but as if you were my own baby.” “When there was no one to protect us...I was your shadow.”
But then his voice changed. The whisper turned into the echo of a lullaby.
🎵 “Though I cannot touch you, I swaddled you with my voice each night.”
🎵 “If your skin should tremble one day, Remember me quietly.”
Touya closed his eyes. Suddenly,another vision emerged in the darkness.
🌌 Flashback –
The lakeside. The sky is pink.
Hawks had his head resting on Touya’s shoulder, smiling. It was one of those rare,peaceful nights they had shared. Before he burned to ash, before he fell from the cliff.
Touya had turned his head. His eyes were searching for meaning in the starless sky. But his heart... was hidden in Hawks’s hands.
“Keigo…” “One day...when this world has turned me to ash… That child will crawl through the earth like a serpent. But you— You will find him.”
Keigo hadn’t understood.
But looking into his eyes, Touya whispered with his most sincere self:
“Because your wings… didn’t grow just for me. They grew for him,too.”
Then another sentence rose within him but remained unspoken: I love you. But save not me... save him.
---
Touya opened his eyes. He looked at the one flower that hadn’t burned in the flames. The blue flower.
That flower was Rei. Something his mother had cultivated while crying, a thing of hope even within the broken house. It was the one pure memory... of the curse that had fallen upon the entire Todoroki family.
He took a step. He looked toward the shadows at the other end of the garden.
There... Was Izuku.
His back was turned, but it was impossible not to recognize him. Even the serpents were silent beside him.
Touya walked slowly to his side. He did not speak for the first time.
And Izuku did not turn either. He just left a single sentence in the silence:
“You are not alone anymore, Touya. And it’s your turn now.”
---
After the Explosion – A Scream from the Silence
The earth was still trembling.
The ground was no longer shaking, but hearts… Momo’s hands were covered in blood. They were cut as she dug,her skin peeling as she scraped. “Sero!SEROOO!!” she screamed, but her voice no longer even echoed in her own ears.
Jirou, collapsed at the base of a rock, let out a muffled sound as she breathlessly pushed aside rubble: “He’s not here…God, he’s not here either…”
Denki had fallen to his knees. His eyes were fixed on the void,only one sentence spilling from his lips: “Did we…lose him?”
Ashido was prone on the ground, biting her lips. Silence… But it wasn’t a peaceful silence. It was the cold silence immediately following death.
Mina slammed her hands on the ground. Dust,blood, and pain mixed together. “No!It can’t be this easy!”
And then… A rustle.
From far away, like a whisper wandering through the leaves. They turned their heads.
From between the trees, a shadow approached. A shadow that staggered with each step,but did not fall. One arm…hung limply. With his other hand,he was clutching something tightly to his chest.
Denki rubbed his eyes. “No…this… this is impossible…”
Momo jumped to her feet. “Sero…?”
His face was covered in blood. The skin above his left eye was split open,blood flowing from his cheek down to his chin. His clothes were torn, his hands burned. But between his fingers, clutched tightly… was that document. The one truth that had managed to survive amidst all the chaos.
And in that moment… Denki screamed. Jirou couldn’t breathe. Mina couldn’t hold back her tears.
Momo fell to her knees. “Seroooo!”she howled.
Sero stopped. He looked them over with bloodied eyes. And he smiled,as if he was about to crack a joke.
“I brought… the document,” he said, his voice barely a whisper. “Didn’t lose it.”
Momo fell forward onto her hands. She brought them to her face, sobbing with a wail torn from her throat.
Before Sero could collapse to the ground, Mina ran to him. Jirou was right behind her. In that moment…they weren’t holding a body, they were holding a miracle.
And one of them whispered:
“We don’t lose each other… never.”
Sero Hanta’s Flashback – “When Time Runs Out”
The ground was trembling.
The adrenaline rushing through his veins was drowning out his heartbeat. They had saved the documents to Jirou’s USB device,yes… But at that moment… He noticed something out of the corner of his eye.
A file that had fallen right under the table. Its colors had faded,its edges were torn… but it bore the Commission’s stamp.
“This is different…” he whispered to himself. “We…didn’t see this one.”
Momo, Jirou, Mina, and Tsuyu were headed for the exit. But Sero’s feet wouldn’t move. He bent down… He reached out with trembling hands.
When he opened that file, it wasn’t just papers that unfolded before him, but the rotten underbelly of an entire world.
📄 Documents:
Revival Project: Subject#017 - “D.N.A. High Threshold Resilience Individual” Name:Midoriya Izuku – Approved for post-mortem revival protocol.
Synthesis Experiment: Genetic compatibility tests between Subject#004 and Subject #017. Touya Todoroki& Izuku Midoriya. Synthesized traumatic memory matching may yield catastrophic effects.
Simulation Chamber Observation Notes: "Subjects must be kept controlled even in their dreams. Especially the subconscious creations of Subject#017 pose a danger."
Signature: Vice Chairman of the Board| Clearance: “Erebus”
Sero’s eyes widened.
“My God… they didn’t just revive them… they connected them. Even them remembering each other…could break the chain…”
And at that moment, the ceiling shook. A red light began flashing in the room.
“SELF-DESTRUCT COUNTDOWN: 00:00:27”
Sero clutched the file to his chest. “I have to catch up…I have to get this to them!”
But the exit was too far. As he ran,the sounds of explosions rose. Dust,smoke, rubble… and a sound.
A rustle.
When he turned around, he saw a half-finished door in an old corridor behind him. While all the walls were grey, on that wall was a slightly raised serpent emblem.
Izuku’s symbol. Hebi no Koe(The Serpent's Voice).
Sero pushed the door without breathing. It only opened a crack…but it was enough.
He threw himself inside. Stones collapsed behind him. He breathed in the darkness. And then…the explosion happened.
Deep in the tunnel, the dance of the fire was just an echo. But those documents… were still intact. And they were in his hands.
---
As Sero emerged from between the trees, the taste of burning dust was on his lips. But inside his heart, was the heat of the truth.
And the tears flowing from his eyes, were not from exhaustion, nor from pain.
He had returned to his friends. And everything with him... carried the secrets the Commission had killed to hide.
---
Present Time
At that moment, a sound came. From among the dry branches,under the pale sky...
A silhouette trying to stand. Covered in burns,cuts… His left eye was squinted,the file in his hand stained with blood.
But he was smiling. Barely.
And in that moment, Tsuyu fell to her knees. Denki covered his mouth,unable to hold back his tears. Momo’s face held the expression of a warrior:“You came… we didn’t lose you.”
Mina knelt beside Sero. With trembling hands,she began to tend to his wounds.
“Don’t talk… just stay here.” But Sero shook his head.
“No… I have to explain this. You need to know what I found.”
Denki hurriedly brought the emergency medical kit Momo created. On his knees,his eyes filled with tears, “Dude…is it really you?” he whispered.
Sero’s answer barely escaped his cracked lips:
“I... didn’t die. But that place... was truly hell.”
“I was about to grab the document and leave. Everyone was gone… But then I saw that file. It had a serpent mark on it. It bore Midoriya's trace. And inside...”
— A silence. Sero’s voice broke.
“Inside… there were documents about how he was revived after death. The Commission...used him as a test subject. They...connected him to Touya. Mixed their memories so they wouldn't remember…”
“They… couldn’t have done that.” said Mina, biting her lip.
Sero shook his head.
“I only had one chance to escape. I noticed a tunnel inside the wall. There was a serpent figure... the mark of Hebi no Koe.” “I crawled through it. In the end…I got out.” “But this document…this!” He held up the file. “This thing I’m holding is the Commission’s true face.”
At that moment, everyone fell silent. Even the wind seemed to stop.
Only one thing could be felt: Pride,pain, victory… and a great rage.
Momo took the document with clean hands. She gently smoothed its torn corners. There were burn marks on the edges of the paper,but the writing in the middle… was still legible.
Denki shone a light. Tsuyu silently checked their surroundings. Jirou leaned over the document,her eyes dazed.
“This… isn’t an autopsy report,” said Momo, scanning the lines with her eyes. “This is an algorithm.An experiment plan. And… an identity matching log.” Sero whispered hoarsely:
“Look... at the bottom right corner.” “It only shows under purple light.”
Momo immediately activated her UV light. When she held it under the paper,it was as if invisible ink had awoken. A mark coiled like a serpent… And in its center,these words:
“Hebi no Koe – Subject: 0911A – Second Interaction Approved”
“Second interaction?” said Jirou. “What was the first one?”
Momo narrowed her eyes.
“Clearly the first attempt... was Touya.” “The second subject...was Midoriya. But on this document..." She turned the paper over.
A drawing. A pale figure: A blue flower…entwined with cables. Beneath it,a single sentence:
“Life can sprout again… if the seed is watered by the serpent’s whisper.”
Momo was silent for a moment. Then,she placed her finger on the symbols in the lower corner. “This…is a coordinate system.” “But it’s not conventional.It’s written with colors, not numbers.”
Tsuyu moved closer. “Look…these colors. They match the light spectrum of stars.”
Jirou’s voice trembled:
“So… we need to look at the sky?” “Is this…a map?”
Momo whispered:
“This is a game only Midoriya could solve. But we are not alone anymore. This time,we will solve it together.”
Sero closed his eyes.
“I was dying… but while I held this document, it had meaning. Now it’s with you… Please…use it correctly.”
Denki bowed his head. “This document is not just a burned friend... It is also the part of us that is still not burned.”
Momo stored the file away. “The war has officially begun.”
They passed through passageways woven by some darkness.
Momo’s team, carrying the document they had salvaged the moment they survived the explosion, Shoto’s team,bearing the distorted truths from the Mirror Room on their shoulders, Katsuki and Hawks,with the decision they had made before the dried blue flower in the glass case…
They all heard Izuku’s voice.
There was no transmission. No device rang.
Just… A whisper echoed within each of them.
"If the shadows have called me, Then the light must remain with you."
And they all began to walk at the same time.
Hidden passages, abandoned tunnels, doors behind ruined archives… Each one opened with a code meant only for them.
Finally, they gathered before a large door built of black stones, studded with spikes. The door would only open if Hebi no Koe and Ground Zero entered. But this time...they were all there. Izuku was inside the door. And they...had been invited in.
Izuku stood in the darkness.
Behind him, a map—fragmented. In the center,a table. On it, papers written with riddles, ancient documents, numbers, and symbols.
Beside him: a glass bowl. Inside, small white snakes. Blue smoke rose from it. A thin line of blood traced the edge of his nose.
But his gaze… Was more lucid than ever before.
“You came… You survived. You paid the price. You are no longer just pieces… You are the new architects of this game.”
He let his gaze travel to each of their eyes.
To Momo:
“If the hands that carry knowledge do not break... the light remains.”
To Sero:
“Those who pass through the fire and return… can sense the lie.”
To Shoto:
“Names written in the stars... will find their echo in the dark.”
To Katsuki:
“You… you were already burning with me. You still are.”
Izuku placed his finger on a large map on the table. Coordinates,data from the USB, experiment reports, distorted images, and La Brava’s symbols merged together.
He pressed his finger down on an “X” mark.
“Here it is. The Commission’s main respiratory center. Media,energy, genetics, and propaganda—it’s all pumped from here. If we enter there,we won’t just stop the system. We will awaken the people.”
Izuku fell silent for a moment. Then he turned to the wall. He touched an ancient script with his finger:
“The serpent whispers not only to the earth; but also to the past.”
When he turned back... His eyes held both pain and revolution.
“This is not an end. This is the first sentence I will write with you.”
Chapter 50: The Burning Flower of Saketo
Summary:
If you burn a child, his mother falls silent.
If a mother's voice is stifled, the siblings rot.
And every rotting silence… eventually becomes an echo."Fallen hero 💠🥀🪽🍷
Chapter Text
"In the Shadow of the Throne"
Echoes bouncing off the stone walls mingled with the sound of water flowing somewhere deep below.
The floor shone like dark shards of glass; cold, hard, merciless.
And in the center of the room… A Throne.
On a raised platform, wrought of black steel; adorned with浮雕 resembling snake scales. Upon that throne sat Izuku Midoriya—or by the name he now bore: Hebi no Koe(Voice of the Serpent).
In his left hand was a small, milk-white snake. He stroked its smooth skin with his fingers. His right hand was clenched into a fist,resting on one of the throne's armrests. The shadow of the cloak falling over his shoulder obscured part of his eyes,but the smile on his face… Shone somewhere between madness and divinity.
The heroes—Shoto, Momo, Katsuki, Kirishima, Jirou, Tsuyu, Mina, Sero, Denki… Were lined up at the table.
Each began to share the documents, symbols, and drawings they held. One,a crumpled photograph, Another,data on a USB drive, Another,holographic records, Another,an analysis report on a burning flower...
Each held a different piece. But the whole picture was not yet visible.
And that whole… Was reflected only in the eyes of the one sitting on the throne.
On the document before Momo was a red symbol. A digital seal on its edges,an encrypted verse at its center:
“If the red bird returns, the old witnesses will speak.”
This was La Brava’s code. When it matched the timestamp on the file left by the Gentle Criminal,another hidden passage appeared on the edge of the map.
At that very moment… Izuku’s voice echoed in the room's emptiness. He didn't shout,he didn't explain.
He only whispered. But they all heard it.
“Those who look in the mirror see not only their reflection but also their sins…”
Shoto looked at the images on the hologram in his hand—the doctored recordings of Endeavor deceiving the public. Seeing his own face amidst those lies… Shook him to his very bones.
Katsuki pressed his finger onto an "eye" symbol on a torn document.
“I—I’ve seen this thing before. It was in the old library basement at UA.” “It was a surveillance system.They were always watching us. They guided us.”
Mina turned to Sero:
“So... this was all planned. Even who would be a hero and who would be a villain…”
Izuku tilted his head. The smile on his face widened slightly.
“You don’t need to be a hero to solve riddles. You just need to be someone who has awakened.”
A silence fell over the room. Shoto bowed his head. Jirou clenched her fists. As Momo’s eyes scanned the documents,her lips trembled.
And Katsuki... Locked his gaze on only one place: Izuku.
That look… was still full of pain. But there was something else in it,something old: Faith.
“No matter what you become… Whether you’re a serpent, Or sitting on a throne, Or even if you’ve gone mad… You’re still my Deku.”
Izuku didn’t look away. He didn’t answer. But...he slowly opened his right hand. He unclenched his fist. And the snake slithered down from his palm onto the table. The names gathered around the table were tired,drenched in sweat, but stubborn.
Shoto placed the holographic recording device he took from his bag onto the table. Those disgusting edited videos showing how Endeavor manipulated the public; the letters from his mother Rei; and digital copies of his distorted childhood memories... They were all real. And they were all a lie.
Momo carefully unfolded the documents Sero had retrieved at the cost of his life. Pages coded with blue symbols,undated reports, experiment notes, and… A digital map added by La Brava. A final coordinate within the shadows: "The Area of Inverse Reflection."
Jirou, with the headphone jack in her hand, was still trying to decipher the sounds ringing in her head. Echoes only she could hear… Whispers once silenced but now awakened.
Katsuki was silent. But his gaze was fixed on Izuku. As if there was no one else on that throne but him. His fingers trembled involuntarily. He had so much to say,but in that moment, he spoke only with his eyes: "I am angry with you. But I am still with you."
When La Brava’s symbols combined with the documents, three keys emerged:
1. The Red Bird – The symbol of the people's resistance.
2. The Blue Flower – Rei’s confession from the past.
3. The Mirror Symbol – The distorted mirror of the hero system.
And at that moment, Izuku's voice rose from the shadow of the throne.
He only whispered. But each word fell like a hammer blow on the table.
"It is not only light... That leaves a mark.Shadow does too. And some wounds...can only be understood through silence."
Katsuki stood up. He clenched his fist.
“Why are we still here, huh?! Why are you still talking to us in riddles?!”
Izuku slowly turned his head. His gaze pierced right through Katsuki.
Then, with a mocking smile:
“Because answers are not given, they are taken. And some only open to those who walk side by side…”
Just then, Mina handed over a document Tsuyu had found. A single line written beneath the blue flower caught her eye:
“When the flame turned blue, even the monster was afraid.”
Katsuki’s heart ached. The only thought that crossed his mind was: “I’m not afraid. I’m not afraid of anything except being left alone.”
Izuku suddenly rose from his seat. He slowly descended from the throne. His footsteps echoed on the marble floor. He stopped before the heroes. He looked into each of their eyes,one by one. Sometimes he ran his fingers over their documents. Sometimes he just remained silent.
But at one point, he whispered once more:
“You thought I was dead. But you had only closed your eyes. Now open them… Because we are not alone in the dark anymore. We just…must not blink.”
And then he walked back to the throne. Sat down. The snake climbed back onto his shoulder.
There was a deathly silence at the table. But their hearts... Were pounding like war drums.
La Brava’s hologram flickered to life. The documents merged over the map. The symbols began to transform into a route.
Momo placed her finger on the point at the center of the codes:
“This… The children smuggled out from the Commission’s center. They’re all in this file. All of them...were being prepared for something.” “Izuku,what is this?” she asked.
Izuku only shook his head. He didn't smile. He didn't answer.
He only whispered one more sentence:
“Those born from the shadow will pierce the shadow…”
In that moment, everyone understood.
Izuku was the leader. But not an ordinary leader. Not a king sitting on a throne.
He was the head of the serpent. And they were all now walking by his side. In the darkness… But together.
The underground shelter… now felt less like a refuge and more like the heart of history and revolution. The stone walls were damp,the air heavy. Dim lights flickered over the documents full of symbols spread across the table,turned page by page by trembling hands. The heroes had returned from three separate missions.
Each of them was tired. Dust on their backs, cuts on their hands. But in their eyes… determination. They had won another battle this time—but the true architect of that victory was now sitting right before them.
Izuku Midoriya, or by the name he now bore, Hebi no Koe (Voice of the Serpent), sat hunched in the center of his throne. A black snake coiled in one hand,his other hand a fist on the throne's armrest. His head tilted slightly to the side,he observed them. As the heroes lined up at the table began to share the documents they held,he still hadn't spoken.
Until...
The door slowly creaked open again.
Standing in the doorway was Touya Todoroki. The black coat on his shoulders billowed like smoke. The burn scars on his face emerged from the shadows as he extended a file with his left hand. He whispered,like a silencer:
“I brought the missing piece.”
He approached the table quietly. He carried a weight about him, as if he didn't belong there, yet as if he were the only one who knew everything. La Brava and Momo's eyes widened as they examined the documents. Gentle Criminal looked up:
“This... is the raw core plan of the Commission's revival experiment…”
Izuku’s eyes scanned the documents Touya had brought. His fingers traced the lines.
Then, something happened.
His shoulders began to tremble. At first,it was unclear… But soon,the heroes heard that familiar sound:
He was chuckling.
Izuku slowly leaned his head back. The snake twisted between his fingers;but his eyes seemed lost in another world. In that moment,he had begun to giggle like a child.
As if he now saw all these plans... this revolution... his journey between death and life… as nothing but a game.
Touya raised an eyebrow. Spinning a small knife in his hand,he silently shook his head.
“Incredible… You’ve gone mad again now that the plan is complete, haven’t you?”
Izuku didn’t answer. But his smile grew silently. Some of the heroes shivered.
Suddenly, a thin trickle of blood seeped from his nose.
As Katsuki moved to rush forward, La Brava stopped him with her hand.
“Don’t touch him now… This is his… highest state of concentration.”
Touya spoke with a cold smile:
“His nose bleeds at the peak of every plan. It’s like his... sacred moment.” “And for some reason,I’m still afraid watching you like this, Hebi…” “He feels time vibrating.If you touch him... his balance will be disrupted.”
La Brava activated the hologram. She rotated the symbols extracted from the documents, adding notes with her fingers. Gentle Criminal tilted his head slightly:
“Sometimes the most complex thing is the most obvious.” “The key to the hidden door...is where the first tear fell.”
Shoto looked up. Touya walked silently to the table and touched a document at the end. His fingers,despite the burn scars, were still gentle.
“When the flame turned blue… even the monster was afraid,” he said.
His words echoed off the cold stone walls.
“That monster was our father,” he continued. “What burned me,you… and him wasn't just fire. It was fear.”
Shoto remained silent.
Izuku’s Whisper
Izuku’s chuckling ceased. He turned his eyes to those at the table. His whisper drowned out every other sound in the room:
“The stones are in place. Blood has been shed. The shadows have spoken.” “Now…it is time to summon the victims.”
Katsuki stood up. His voice was frayed, but his eyes were moist:
“Whoever you are... ‘mastermind’, ‘Hebi’... or that man speaking in madness. To me, you will always remain that boy.” “You are my Deku.” “I lived through the hell of thinking you were dead.You didn't tell me. You left me here alone. But you're still here... and I still love you.”
Izuku's lips quivered slightly. His eyes seemed to catch something in the darkness. But still, he did not answer. He continued to stroke the snake in his hand. The documents,symbols, coordinates... The blue flower,the revival formula, the Commission's fake memories, Endeavor's hidden crimes… The pieces were being assembled.La Brava pointed to a symbol:
“The blue flower... It was watered only once... by Rei Todoroki’s tear.”
Touya spoke suddenly:
“Our home was a glass garden… A blue flower had been placed inside.” “Those who touch it get burned…but it also freezes. That's why... we never became flowers.”
Gentle Criminal shook his head:
“The second coordinate in the documents... is the abandoned psychiatric center Rei went to in her time. The place her father hid her.”
Izuku slowly raised his head. His dark eyes gleamed. The blood from his nose had reached his lips now, but he didn't care. His laughter had stopped.
“Hide and seek is over,” he whispered. “Now...it is time to summon the victims.”
He rose slowly, warming his fingers over the flame at the center of the table. Everyone stood up. The silence was sacred. Because in that moment,each of them realized:
This was not an end... it was a beginning. And the god had now taken his throne. Everything was on this table now. And the heroes had long understood who the leader was.
Hebi no Koe sat upright on his throne. A snake in one hand,the future of the revolution in the other.
And the plan was no longer just part of a game… it was the downfall of a world.
The Final Meeting in the Throne Room
The dim light was swallowed by a pale silence echoing in Hebi no Koe's throne room. Sitting on his throne,Izuku's eyes focused one by one on his old friends gathered around the table.
Some were still breathless, some trembling with fatigue. But they were all alive. And they were all looking at him.
The heroes debated the documents, symbols, and codes in their hands; La Brava and Gentle Criminal added new lines to the data screens projected onto the hologram.
A black snake was coiled in Izuku's hand, as if mirroring his emotions. His other hand rested on the arm of the throne;beneath his fingers was a plan he knew by heart. His smile,teetering on the edge of madness, never faded.
But his eyes… When they focused on Shoto,that mad glint softened for a moment.
As the meeting disbanded and Shoto turned to leave… Izuku stood up.
His footsteps echoed on the stone floor of the hall. He approached Shoto silently.
At first, he said nothing. He only touched Shoto’s cheek with his right hand. Slowly,like a mother would.
Shoto flinched, but did not pull away. There was a tenderness in Izuku’s touch. The image of that angelic boy he’d seen in the school corridors years ago came to his mind.
Izuku brought his lips close to Shoto’s ear. And in a low voice,he whispered:
“If the red bird returns, if the snow falls again… the child in the glass garden will awaken.”
He winked. Then turned his back and walked back to his throne.
Shoto, Mina, Momo, and Denki left the room shortly after. As the heavy iron door closed,a momentary loneliness descended upon the room. But immediately,new voices rose:
Uraraka's hushed voice, “What did he say now?” Jirou’s worried look,“Who was the child in the glass garden?” And Kirishima’s furrowed brows,“The red bird hasn’t returned yet…”
As Izuku returned to his throne, he brought a hand to his forehead. A thin stream of blood trickled from his nose. But on his lips was that usual,crooked smile.
“The game is just beginning,” he murmured. “And we are about to play the best part
A cold mist enveloped Saketo Hill. The moon cast a dim light through the clouds onto the earth;elongating shadows, deepening the darkness.
Shoto’s feet moved slowly along the rocky path. Behind him,Mina, Momo, and Denki followed in silence. None of them spoke. None of them felt the need to.
Because one of them had whispered: “If the red bird returns,if the snow falls again… the child in the glass garden will awaken.”
And the snow was indeed falling.
They were at the edge of the old Todoroki estate, long abandoned after Rei Todoroki’s nervous breakdown years ago, the place she had been confined to.
A rusty gate emerging from the weeds… And right behind it…a half-collapsed structure with glass walls.
It used to be a winter garden.
Shoto took a heavy step. As he pushed the garden's gate open,a long-forgotten memory pierced his heart like a knife:
When he was little, Rei would bring him here and hold him quietly. “It’s quiet here…no one can catch you here,” she would say.
But then, that night had happened. The night she threw the cup,the night the scalding water spilled, the night the screams fell silent. The inside of the glass walls was moss-covered. But there was something inside:
In the exact center of the garden, inside a glass orb, a flower,dried but still standing upright.
Blue.
Momo held her breath. “This...this blue flower… the flower from the lullaby…”
Denki shone the light from his hand towards the flower. There was something around it.
Shoto bent down.
A few words carved into the stone floor caught his attention. Burned. Forgotten. Will awaken.
A Voice...
At that very moment, a whisper spread through the falling snow.
Mina flinched. “Did you hear that?!”
Snow was hitting the glass ceiling. But there was a voice: "When the flame turned blue, even the monster was afraid…"
Shoto’s eyes welled up. These words…Touya’s lullaby.
And immediately after, a section beneath the flower opened. A hidden drawer. Shoto slowly opened the drawer. Inside were yellowed letters,some laboratory documents, and…
A note written in Rei Todoroki’s handwriting:
“I knew Izuku. I saw him. But I kept silent. Because if I spoke… they would burn him too.”
Momo whispered: “This... this isn't an official record. This… is a confession.”
Denki frowned. “Rei…she tried… to protect him.”
Shoto’s hands were trembling. His mother…she knew everything and had remained silent for years.
Time seemed to have stopped in the glass garden. The snow continued to fall on the glass roof;inside, they were confronting themselves in the cracked mirror of the past.
Shoto had fallen to his knees. He held the letter his mother had written years ago with trembling hands. His fingers gripped the paper,but his eyes... had already drifted to another time.
"His eyes… never shouted. But I knew. How much he carried inside… And how that boy watched you, how he looked at you… I knew he understood it better than any of us."
"But I kept silent. Because if I had spoken, they would have burned him. Just like they burned Touya. Just like they shattered you with your silence.
"I... am not a good person."
Shoto's voice was like a cracked wall. A wall afraid of collapsing,but one that had already crumbled long ago.
“I… remember my mother always trembling when he was around.” “When I was a child,I had no one to protect me. Because everyone was protecting someone else. Touya… Enji’s pride… UA’s flawless image…” “And I…just… watched.”
Mina knelt down beside him. Her fingers touched Shoto’s shoulder lightly. There was nothing to say. Sometimes,just staying beside that pain was enough.
Denki had bowed his head. The boy who was always laughing… Now he just swallowed hard. Like a heart that carries a weight even in silence.
Momo opened Rei’s second letter. It was attached to a laboratory document:
"Project R18-GH: Revival Experiment - Subject #02: Touya Todoroki Subject#03: I. Midoriya (?) Note:Name erased, access locked."
At that very moment...
One of the garden's broken glass panes creaked open on its own.
With a cold wind… a jet-black cloak slipped inside,merging with the shadows.
The Fallen Hero.
His face wasn't clearly visible, but his voice… Rang out with a familiar mockery:
“Glass flowers… are always the most fragile. Sometimes,trying to protect them, you end up burning the whole garden. But you forget. If the flower breaks,the garden loses its meaning.”
Shoto raised his head. His eyes were bloodshot. But the fallen hero was never surprised by any pain. He just spoke.
“If you burn a child, his mother falls silent. If a mother’s voice is stifled,the siblings rot. And every rotting silence…eventually becomes an echo.”
“What do you want from us?” said Denki, his brows furrowed.
The Fallen Hero chuckled softly. Then he spun a small file in his hand and dropped it to the ground.
“Perhaps not from you. Perhaps I’m waiting for a sound from the flower. Or from the gardener. Maybe I’m just one of those who wants to write the end of the story.”
Mina picked up the file. Inside was a photograph. A record taken in a cold room,showing Touya opening his eyes for the first time. In the background,Izuku’s dark silhouette.
Beneath it, only one line: “The flower of Saketo has burned again.”
Chapter 51: Stars Rewritten
Summary:
They tried to bury us in the ashes of their sins. They forgot we were the fire that burned in the dark... and the stars that rewrite their own fate."
🍷💫🐍
Chapter Text
CHAPTER: The Child of Fire and Ice
The Fallen Hero walked on shards of glass, his steps echoing more in the silence they left behind than in the sound they made. The edge of his dark cloak dragged on the ground. Shoto was still collapsed,frozen with his mother's document in his hand. But he was no longer looking at that paper; he was staring at the silhouette of the past drifting before his eyes.
The Fallen Hero was silent for a while. Then,he tilted his head toward Shoto and spoke:
“Fire was your father. Ice, your mother. But you were not born from their shadows... You are a light that walks through the shadows,Shoto Todoroki.”
Shoto slowly raised his head. The Fallen Hero’s eyes... They were more than a stranger’s. It was as if...he knew everything.
“Touya burned because he was rage. You wanted to freeze because you were innocent. But... The place where you two meet was hidden in a mother’s tear.”
He took another step. He pulled an envelope from his robe. On the envelope,a word was written in Rei’s handwriting: “Saketo.”
“Do you remember the glass garden, Todoroki?” “The blue flower…you were the only one who could touch it. Because even without knowing what it was...you understood it.”
Shoto was no longer looking at the document in his hand, but at his own reflection in the glass shards fallen on the ground. The Fallen Hero bent down. And he whispered his final sentence like a riddle:
“One hand ice, the other hand fire. But what makes you you...is when you lower them.” “One side wanted to forget.The other went mad from remembering. What about you? Which one are you?Or... are you the one who abandoned both?”
Shoto’s lips moved, but no sound came out. He had cried before. But now... A man’s tear,not a child’s, streamed down his cheeks.
“I... I couldn’t save her,” he said. His voice was fractured. "Not Touya...not my mother. But now…perhaps I can save myself."
And the tears were as heavy as the first snowflake falling on the soil of the glass garden. They were silent,but they carried the whole story.
The Fallen Hero’s Final Words
“The child of fire and ice… Is the greatest explosion that echoes in silence. And some flowers...only bloom from ashes.”
He turned his back once more. As his silhouette disappeared among the shadows,he left one last sentence behind:
“Names written in the stars are not forgotten. But sometimes...they need to be rewritten.”
CHAPTER: The Eyes of the Snake
Izuku Midoriya, aka Hebi no Koe (Voice of the Snake), was still on his throne. There was no light,but there were shadows—and within those shadows, he watched each and every hero, one by one.
He had his head slightly tilted, playing with a small stone snake figurine in his hand. His eyes were so fixed,so calculating that... It was as if,even if the heroes weren't in the room at that moment, he knew what they would be thinking.
The team remaining around the table—Katsuki, Kirishima, Yaoyorozu, Jirou, Tsuyu, and Iida—had spread out the documents they had recently discovered.
Maps. Reports written in old codes. Symbolic markings indicating a route,but whose direction was even doubtful.
Katsuki slammed the map angrily. “This isn’t a game!”he said. “But everything is like a riddle! When are we going to see something clear, huh?!”
La Brava clasped her hands and murmured: “Sometimes the clearest answer is hidden in the simplest question.Or... in the one never asked.”
Right at that moment, Izuku chuckled.
All the heroes flinched at once.
Izuku slowly raised his head. His eyes glowed a dark green,almost red. A familiar,yet utterly alien smile appeared on his face.
Then, his whisper-like voice filled every corner of the room:
“If you are looking for the end of the world on a map... You are on the wrong continent.”
Another silence. Katsuki narrowed his eyes,took a step to speak, but La Brava placed her hand on his shoulder. “Let him,”she said, “the game master is speaking now.”
Izuku did not stand up. He placed the snake figurine on his knee and once again bent his head toward the map. He raised his finger in the air,not touching the table, as if drawing an invisible line:
“The day the red bird turned, the sky did not fall silent... It only lied. Silence...is often deeper than a scream.”
Jirou fixed her eyes on the document, muttering: “That...that sentence matches the writing ‘Saketo Turn’ on the map.”
Tsuyu opened her eyes wide. “So...is that really our next step?”
Izuku hung his head. Only one word slipped from his lips:
“Perhaps.”
But the heroes were used to it by now. They knew that nothing Izuku didn’t answer with a“yes” or “no” would remain unanswered. They just...needed to burn a little more.
The air in the throne room was heavy. Izuku sat quietly on his throne where shadows still reigned.He slowly turned the stone snake on his knee. He was watching them. Every move, every breath, every anxiety of theirs...
Katsuki was leaning against a corner of the map. His hands were fists, his eyes still fixed on Izuku. He wasn't speaking. But everyone could feel the swallowed words accumulating between his lips.
Kirishima was scanning the documents. “This symbol... this definitely points to the western slope,” he said for a moment.
Yaoyorozu, without raising her head, traced the lines on the map. “That mark there... could be some kind of ancient monument. Among the codes, ‘shelter’, ‘eternal flower’, and ‘light born in mud’ are mentioned. Perhaps... Saketo Hill.”
A silence fell.
Izuku raised his head slightly at that moment. “Only the lost...find the way.”
And he smiled. But it wasn't a smile of victory. It was like the breaking point of a mind standing on the border of madness and sacrifice.
At the Same Time...
Far away, amidst the howling wind, on the western foothills of Saketo, Shoto Todoroki and his group were advancing.
The sky was cloudy. The soil had absorbed the rain,but it still held secrets it had yet to vomit forth. Mina stepped carefully;her hands still trembled with the traces of the pain of nearly losing Sero. Denki,with the equipment on his shoulder, scanned the path while glancing sideways at Shoto’s silence. Momo drew a symbol in her notebook.“This... matches one from Rei’s letters,” she said.
Shoto stopped. They were at the edge of a clearing overlooking the summit of Saketo.
Shards of a glass garden still sat among the stones. As the wind passed through like a lament from the past,Shoto closed his eyes.
“One wing in embers, the other frozen in ice...”
A lullaby. It was his mother’s whisper from years ago. And now...on the tongue of the wind.
Back in the Throne Room
As the documents were pieced together, La Brava and Gentle Criminal were cracking the old Commission codes.
“The new route is confirmed,” said La Brava. “But getting there won’t be easy. The systems buried beneath Saketo might still be active.”
Izuku did not rise from his throne. But he spoke suddenly:
“The earth speaks... But only those who ask the right question hear it.”
Katsuki responded without looking at him. “We will hear it.”
At that moment, a finger pressed down on the point at the center of the map. Saketo.
Shoto placed his hand on the ground. “Saketo...this isn’t just a place,” he said. “This is the grave of the past. And perhaps... the home of those who will be reborn.”
Denki bowed his head. “Are we ready?”
Momo placed the documents into her backpack. “We no longer have the option of not being ready.”
And together, they walked toward Saketo Hill.
At the same time, the team remaining in the throne room also stood up. As Izuku watched them from behind,he whispered only a single word:
“The curtain has fallen. Now...let the game begin.”
Throne Room – A Silent Farewell)
Katsuki was the last one to leave the room. His steps were heavy,but resolute. He held no weapon,no anger… Just a love that had turned to stone,hardened within the wait. Izuku Midoriya—now'Hebi no Koe'—was motionless on his throne. His eyes were closed. But he had felt Katsuki's gaze. He opened his eyes. Those emerald eyes… They no longer belonged to a hero,but to a shadow. They grew not flowers, but poisonous vines within.
But Katsuki’s eyes still burned like flame. A crimson rebellion,a fragile loyalty, a silent love.
Nothing was spoken between them. But it was as if everything had been said.
“Whoever you become...” The voice inside Katsuki was a knot in his throat. “Whatever you become...I will still know you. I won't stop knowing you. I can't.”
Izuku’s eyes just looked. He was hurt. Tired. As if,while the whole world had turned its back on him, he had sworn to leave even Katsuki outside the door of his heart.
But there was something else deep within that gaze. "I wish..." It was unspoken.But it echoed in his eyes.
Katsuki’s lips didn't tremble, he didn't take a step. But his eyes screamed like the cry of a child in anguish:
“Despite everything... I love you. Whether you turn into an unrecognizable monster or a fallen god... I will stand by you. Because you are my Deku.And you will always remain so.”
On the throne sat a shadow buried in silence. Izuku tilted his head slightly. He neither refused. Nor accepted. He just averted his eyes.
And in that moment... What stabbed into Katsuki's heart like a knife was not a word,but a silence.
Izuku didn't turn his head away immediately. But he felt it. That those eyes were still watching him… That the only eyes that had pulled him back from the edge of nightmares for years,that had kept him alive, that still recognized him… were still there.
“Don’t speak…” he thought to himself. “Don’t say my name.Don’t look at me with those boyish eyes, Kacchan.” But it was too late.
Katsuki took one more step. And fell silent. He said nothing. But that gaze…
Those eyes that seeped into Izuku, into his blood, awakening every single memory of the past…
“I’m still here.” “I haven’t left.” “Even when you thought me dead…your place in my heart never diminished.”
Izuku’s fingers gripped the armrest of the throne. One of the snakes coiled into his palm,but he didn't even feel it. His mind swayed between a rotten kindness and a severed devotion.
“Why?” The voice inside him was weaker than a whisper. “Why are you still here?If you love me even like this… do you truly understand what you’ve become?”
But the eyes were still screaming:
“I will fight you.” “I will accept the bullets that pierce my chest.” “Just don’t leave me behind again,Deku.”
Izuku did not look away. For the first time,he looked directly, long and hard, at him. Into Katsuki’s red eyes.
And in that moment, words were unnecessary. Because the eyes themselves had become screams.
“If you still accept me like this… Then you are my greatest sin,Katsuki.” “And my most beloved punishment.”
But no words fell from his lips. He only bowed his head slightly. Like an acknowledgment,like a farewell…
Katsuki wanted to scream from within. To run,to embrace, to cry… But he didn't.
He just looked. And with his eyes,he left one final sentence:
“Whoever you become… whoever you are… to me, you’re still that stupid, freckled kid. And I loved that kid…more than anything.”
Something stirred in Izuku’s eyes. For a brief moment…just a moment… There was something as warm as a“thank you” there. But it,too, was swallowed.
The shadow of the throne began to cover everything. Time was running short. Plans were growing. And the world was once again turning on their shoulders.
Katsuki turned his back. Not a single word left his mouth.
But every step he took shouted, “I haven’t forgotten you.”
And Izuku remained on his throne.
His face showed nothing. But in his heart… The mark of those eyes still remained.
Saketo Hill — The Rebirth of 11 Stars
(Shattered Hearts to Walk Together)
The night wind howled and beat against Saketo Hill. A silvery mist spread like a curtain between the earth and the sky. Trees stretched out like shadows,and the moon watched from behind the clouds.
Shoto’s group advanced on the mountainside. Their steps were careful,their eyes alert. The symbols from Rei’s letters had led them here. And now,in the depths of Saketo Hill, the breath of a long-lost secret still lived.
Under a pile of stones, there was a circle covered in ashes. Right in the center,a bluish stain… Charred,but not faded. The traces of that blue flame that once sprang from Touya’s fingertips…
Shoto bent down. His hand trembled as he touched the stone. And at that moment…
A stir occurred on the hill. The earth vibrated slightly. Then,footsteps echoed in the darkness.
Momo stepped forward reflexively. Jirou opened her earphone jacks,Tsuyu let her tongue slip out slightly.
But then...
A shadow stepped out of the darkness into the light. As the torn cloak on his shoulder fluttered in the wind,his blood-red eyes became distinct.
Katsuki Bakugou.
Behind him, Kirishima, Mina, Denki, Sero… They were all silent. But each of their faces was determined,like warriors ready for a confrontation.
Katsuki held a crumpled piece of paper in his hand. One of the fragments Izuku had left behind.
His gaze locked onto Shoto’s eyes. He didn't speak.
There was no need.
Because this was the moment of rebirth. The 11 stars that were once shattered were now coming together like a banner on Saketo Hill.
Katsuki walked to Shoto’s side. He looked at the ashes,at the traces on the ground. He said nothing,only took a step back to make room for Shoto.
And Shoto turned his eyes to his friends. His voice was broken but resolute:
"I wasn't alone. But now I'm not at all. This time… we're together."
The sky closed over them with a heavy silence. But in their hearts,something else was born that night.
They were no longer just fighters. They were now the stars of a revolution, a brotherhood sworn against a darkness, a promise given to each other, written in blood, sealed with love:
“This time, no one will be left behind.”
When they reached an underground chamber, they turned on their lights. The floor was full of cracks. On the walls were burnt notes,rotten cables, and traces from ancient times… Traces of two names.
Carved into one of the walls:
“H.N.K.”
And right next to it:
“T. Todoroki”
Shoto reached out his hands, tracing the sooty letters with his fingers. At that moment,something pierced his chest. Not like a stranger… Like someone of his own blood.
“Touya… hid here.” “After burning…after running away, maybe he was able to sleep here for the first time.”
Kirishima walked to a corner. There,an old radio, with dried bloodstains on it. And next to it… A piece of paper made from snake skin.
Bakugou slowly approached. He picked up the paper. The lines were almost erased but visible:
“Those born from burnt shadows pray not to light, but to darkness.”
“The doors open not when they burn, but when eyes burn.”
Jirou whispered:
“This... is Izuku’s handwriting... and it's very old.”
And right at that moment, Shoto's voice was heard:
“Here... there's something else.”
One of the stones in the wall was slightly protruding. When Shoto pressed it,a small compartment opened.
A box came out of it. Rusted,heavy… But something was trembling inside.
Momo opened the box. A voice recorder.
And then… From that device,a young voice echoed:
“If you are hearing this voice…” “…I am still on record.” “I am… Hebi no Koe. And this is the beginning of my darkest plan.”
Katsuki stepped forward. He looked in shock at the papers,the walls, the burnt edges of the objects.
“Izuku… was here.” “He set everything up…here. He took his first steps here.”
And then… Another sound. But this time,not from the recorder.
On the back, between the stone walls… a small child's drawing. A green-haired boy sitting on a snake's back. Next to him,another silhouette wreathed in blue flames: Touya. This place was not just a shelter. It was an incubation chamber. A tombstone proving that two brothers—one called a hero and the other a monster— were in fact born from the same fire.
And now... the heroes had to rise upon that grave. Suddenly…one of the walls trembled. Something opened. A projector—an ancient,mechanical system was activated.
And the silhouette appearing on the dark stone wall… was Izuku himself.
But it wasn't the Deku they knew. This was Hebi no Koe,sitting on his throne, his eyes filled with darkness, but still hiding the child within.
Izuku's Hologram began to speak:
“Saketo… This is where the fire turned blue… and where the snake shed its skin for the first time.”
“I was not born here. But I died here.”
A pause… Izuku’s voice was fractured,but one part of it still carried that familiar softness.
“Here, I loved a brother, a monster, and an enemy all at once.”
“Here… I made a plan for the first time.”
And then… the camera angle changed. Izuku’s eyes in the hologram turned directly to Katsuki.
“Your absence brought me here, Kacchan.” “But…you were always the reason I stayed.”
A riddle appeared at the edge of the hologram, surrounded by snake motifs:
“When a flower wilts twice, the soil is no longer the same.” “Those who do not look in the mirror lose their faces.” “If the blue flame returns and the stars cry again… The hidden chamber opens,and the heart decides once more.”
One more sentence came before the camera shut off:
“He who wishes to escape hell… must first befriend it.”
And then the image went dark. The wall returned to stone. The hologram fell silent. A brief silence… No one spoke. Until...footsteps were heard. From a high part of the ceiling, from a corner,a familiar silhouette descended by a hanging black chain. A tattered cloak dangling from the shadow… A mask covering his face. And his voice began to flow like a riddle once more.
“Ah, they found it... finally... The grave of fire and the snake.” “Little heroes…what will you do now?”
Kirishima clenched his fist in anger.
“You again?” “The devil had gone quiet until you showed up.”
The Fallen Hero bowed his head. He did not laugh. But his voice was mixed with mockery:
“If the devil has stopped talking, then it must be the angel's turn.”
And then, he pulled an old notebook from his pocket. A document with a torn cover,its pages smelling of mold.
“This... is the Commission's original sin.” “They put two children inside a grave and expected salvation from them.”
Momo narrowed her eyes.
“That document… Touya and Izuku’s…”
“Correct,” whispered the Fallen Hero. “They didn't just save them...they rewrote them.” “And this is a part of that writing…” Suddenly,the fallen hero turned to Shoto.
“Child of fire and ice. The only balance born between two abysses.”
With a finger gesture, he pointed to a new symbol. A spiral. With a blue spark at its center.
“This symbol… is the key to the star gate.”
All the heroes had fallen silent. Documents,riddles, past, future… They had all become a knot within these stone walls.
Izuku, as if still in that throne room, with blood trickling from his nose, was playing chess in the dark…
But he was no longer alone.
11 stars had begun to shine in the heart of Saketo.
Chapter 52: The Lost Hero's Legacy & Broken Crowns and Shadow Kings
Summary:
A hero doesn't fight for everyone. Sometimes, if they fight for even one person... they are still a hero."
🍷🐍👑🫀
Chapter Text
The underground smelled heavily; it was filled with dampness, rust, and decayed memories forgotten by time. Deep within Saketo Hill, in the bunker where the blue flame once burned, the heroes stood in silence. Each was searching for their own story in the letters carved into the dusty stones of the past, but all they found was pain and darkness.
Shoto flinched as Touya's faint footsteps echoed. The letters in his hand were still trembling. In his blue eyes, the lines written by his mother's shaky pen were slowly freezing, shattering the icy coffin of his childhood.
Touya approached the stone table. There was dried blood under his nose, but no one found it strange anymore.
“When I was little, I used to crush blue flowers,” he said, his voice echoing in the room like a distant song. “Then I learned my mother watered them with her tears. So it seems everything… started with our mother.”
There was someone else silently watching from the other side of the wall.
Izuku.
Seated on his throne, holding the cold body of a coiled snake in one hand, he silently moved chess pieces with the other. The table was covered with documents, parchments, stolen information, and traces of secret agreements. But his gaze was focused solely on... the plans. This was no longer a war; it was a calculation.
“I’ve thought of everything,” he whispered to himself. “Even if we can’t win… we will lose the right way.”
The heroes gathered around the table were silently examining the documents, each deciphering the symbols that would determine their fate. La Brava, Gentle Criminal, and Hawks stood by their side. La Brava’s laptop trembled silently, Gentle used the tip of his glove to pull up a projection map, and Hawks placed an encoded document he was holding onto the table.
Just then, Touya picked up one of the documents and skimmed it. Written on it in a shaky handwriting was:
“If the blue fire reaches the sky, even the darkness will recoil.”
He laughed mockingly. He turned his head and looked at Shoto.
“You know? The monster who was afraid of blue fire was actually our father. And he left that fear… to me as an inheritance.”
Izuku began to chuckle quietly. At first softly. Then with an increasingly rising amusement.
Touya rolled his eyes.
“Your nose is bleeding again, Hebi...,” he said, smiling. “Every time you’re about to make a big move, your nose bleeds. Just like in childhood.”
Indeed, a thin line of blood was trickling from Izuku's nose down to his chin. But he didn't move. In that moment, one step before madness, all the pieces were falling into place on the massive chessboard he had built in his mind.
As those remaining around the table prepared to leave, Izuku stepped forward. He approached Shoto silently. He touched his cheek.His fingers were light; like a memory that once touched as a friend, now mourning the past.
“Bring your flame and your ice together...” he whispered into his ear. “...the shadow will retreat on its own.”
Shoto bowed his head, tears welling in his eyes. He was no longer just the child of two elements. He was the shadow of a warrior burdened with years of pain.
As the group was leaving, Katsuki stopped one last time.
He looked at Izuku.
He didn't speak. They didn't need words anymore.
All the storms were in his red eyes. "I love you in every state," they said. "I couldn't accept your death. But whatever you've become, whoever you've become... you're still you to me."
Something flickered in Izuku's eyes. But he didn't turn his head. Only the corner of his lips,a faint smile.
“The final king's move hasn't been made yet...” he said. “But this time... I'll play with you, Kacchan.”
And so, in the midst of darkness, under the stars, the planners dispersed one by one.
But the shadows had not yet fully retreated. And Izuku's throne...was still not empty.
Chapter: The Path to the Abyss – The Commission's Descent into Hell
The lights embedded in the massive underground room flickered. The Commission's headquarters was no longer just a decision-making mechanism; it had become a cemetery where fear echoed silently.
Around the huge table standing in the middle of the meeting room were four high-ranking officials. The President, face pale, was clutching a cracked file. Beside him, the Data Analysis Director gritted his teeth as he punched the screen displaying lists of allies in custody. On the wall screens, the hero propaganda images that once played proudly had turned into pitch-black curtains. Because there were no more cameras, and no more heroes.
The President rolled his eyes, as if a lie he couldn't swallow was stuck in his throat.
“All hidden experiment documents have been destroyed. Everything was annihilated using Code 73-Z. No traces remain,” someone said.
The President remained silent. Then he slowly raised his head.
“But there’s a problem…” “The backup of the documents…” “Might be in that child’s hands.”
No one said the name.
But that name echoed through the room like a scream:
Hebi no Koe. (The Voice of the Snake)
An aerial image of the exploded laboratory appeared on one of the screens. Flame, rubble, dead silence… but then, the image froze. A slender silhouette, disappearing among the shadows as it moved away from the burning wreckage.
The youngest member of the Commission shuddered.
“That's... that's impossible… That document... was with the explosion—”
The President slammed the table. The sound exploded next to their ear, and everyone in the room fell silent.
“They are still breathing. They are still planning. And with every step… they are ahead of us.”
A silence fell.
Then, one of the screens flickered.
The system manager bent over the keyboard in fear. "This is unauthorized... someone from an external access point—"
The image suddenly changed.
A pitch-black screen.
Then... a coiling, snake-like symbol appeared.
An emerald green eye. And then...that voice.
“How sweet... You’re relieved because you burned the documents.” “But you can’t win a war with fire...You only create ruins.”
Izuku’s voice echoed through the room. It was no longer a child's voice.It was cold, calculated, like a prophecy born from silence…
“There was a copy of everything you destroyed.” “Because no matter how much you tear down...I placed a snake under every stone.” “If you touch Touya…Didn’t I tell you I would bring Hell to you.”
The President trembled. He pressed his hands against the weight in his chest.
“How did he... infiltrate this system?!”
The screen went dark once more.
But Izuku left one final sentence.
“You dug your own grave. And I am merely... considering which flowers to plant on it.”
The system shut down. All screens went dark.
Silence fell over the room. But the silence was no longer peace; it was the shape of fear.
The President slowly stepped back. His eyes looked into the darkness.
“They... have come.”
The gates of Hell had opened. And the Commission was no longer the game master,but pawns left behind on the chessboard.
The Boy Who Once Wanted To Be A Hero”
The throne room... Everyone was gone.
The heavy, shadow-like door had closed with its final groan, and the ensuing silence... was as quiet as the void itself. Hebi no Koe—Izuku Midoriya—sitting motionless on the throne, was like a fragment of time collapsed into loneliness. He was now the master of shattered minds, unfinished sentences, and plans bought with blood. But his heart... his heart still belonged to a child.
Standing up felt like a burden. Every step echoed on the stone floor paved with shadows. At the edge of the throne room, a large mirror covered in the dust of the past awaited him.
He stepped in front of the mirror.
Slowly, he raised his eyes. The first thing he saw... wasn't himself.
In the mirror stood a boy with green hair falling over his forehead, his eyes shining with hope. Though his clothes were worn, he still had a smile. "I will save you," that boy was saying. "Whether you're evil or innocent… I will hold you. You won't be alone."
But the smile faded. The mirror seemed to blink, the dust of the past shifting.
The reflection changed.
Now, Hebi no Koe was in the mirror. Dark circles under his eyes, a dried wound on his left cheek, a black, ink-like snake tattoo coiling from his neck to his shoulder... his breathing was rapid, a thin drop of blood trickling from the side of his nose. His eyes were not those of a hero, but of a strategist on the brink of madness.
Izuku reached his hand out to the mirror. When his skin met the cold glass, a sharp pain shot through his fingers, just like the scream passing through him.
"I... I just wanted to be a hero..." he said in a low voice.
He slowly sank to his knees. His fingers gripped the glass. The trembling tears on the mirror's surface streamed down to his chin, then to the floor... as if dripping onto the past.
"I... I wanted to save everyone. Innocent or not. Just to protect. To love. To fall in love… That's all."
His shoulders shook. His sobs echoed off the room's stone pillars.
"That's all I wanted. But all I have left is this…”
He slowly raised his hand. He looked at the snake tattoo between his fingers. The ink on his skin seemed to stir. It was mocking him.
"I'm just a... monster now," he whispered.
At that moment... a shadow stirred behind him. But there was no footstep. Even the weight of a body stepping on the stones was silent.
A figure with white hair cascading over his shoulders, carrying the past with his cracked hands... Shigaraki Tomura. But no longer just a villain, also a brother.
Without a single word, he slowly approached the kneeling Izuku from behind. Silently... he wrapped his strong but broken arms around him. It wasn't coldness that enveloped him, but understanding.
Izuku closed his eyes. He leaned his head back in surprise.
Shigaraki said nothing.
Because sometimes words were unnecessary. And silence... could be the best balm for a shattered mind.
Izuku gritted his teeth as he leaned against his chest.
"I... I wanted to remain human. But a scream remained inside me. Every night I woke up with a different face, a different plan... a different bloodstain. I lost myself. But... but you were inside me, Kacchan was there, Shoto, Kirishima, everyone was there. I just... just wanted to love."
He was crying now. Truly, to his very core. He had suppressed it for so many years that his sobs poured out uncontrollably. As if every tear was vomiting forth years of sealed pain, shattered hopes.
"I'm still Deku… but I'm no one anymore."
Shigaraki rested his head on his shoulder. His lips didn't move, but his hands squeezed him. "You deserved none of this," he said silently. "You were just a boy who loved too much. And someone who loves that much is the easiest to break in this world."
Izuku was still looking at his own reflection in the glass.
But this time... the reflection was smiling. Smiling with pain, broken but with hope.
And in that moment, he whispered to himself: "A hero doesn't fight for everyone.Sometimes, if he fights for even one person... he is still a hero."
“Pieces Are Only Sacrificed In The Game”
A heavy silence still hung in the room.
The child kneeling before the glass no longer resembled a child at all. But for Shigaraki Tomura, time, blood, past, titles meant nothing.
For him, the one before him was just... his brother.
He touched Izuku's shoulder with his hands. Izuku quietly sniffled. Blood was still seeping out.
"Are you going to do this every time?" Shigaraki asked in a muffled tone, devoid of mockery. "Do you think you'll win the game by tearing off a little more of yourself each time?"
Izuku bowed his head. A small, pained smile escaped the corner of his lips.
"Time... doesn't remain loyal to those who think smart enough, brother," he said softly. "Fatigue is a sign of weakness. Sleeplessness... is the cost of strategy."
Shigaraki narrowed his eyes. "You are not a strategy,Izuku. You were a child. You had a heart. Now that heart... is just jumping like a knight on a chessboard. You're sacrificing everything."
Izuku closed his eyes. The words he spoke seemed lost between dream and reality:
"A piece can sleep, but if the game master sleeps, he becomes a sacrifice. I just... have to stay one step ahead."
"And those steps are dragging you into the shadows," said Shigaraki. "You're not walking anymore, you're being dragged."
As he spoke, he knelt down, slowly noticing his brother's collapse. Izuku had braced his hand on the floor but couldn't gather his strength. His fingers were trembling. His eyelids grew heavier and heavier.
"You're tired," Shigaraki said, this time with a tenderness close to a whisper.
Izuku tried to lift his head but couldn't.
"I just... need to think a little more. Routes. Moves. The shadow of Plan B... the possibility of C. Everyone is looking at me. Everyone—"
"And no one is holding you, are they?" said Shigaraki.
Izuku fell silent.
Shigaraki leaned forward and, without hesitation, gathered him into his arms. It was so easy, as if he was holding a child who might break.
Izuku stiffened for a moment. Then he laid his head on Shigaraki's shoulder, his breath flowing shakily.
"You can lean on someone, brother. Even if that back... was shattered years ago. I am here."
Izuku whispered softly:
"I'm just a piece, aren't I? One to be sacrificed when there are no moves left on the board."
Shigaraki had already started walking. He passed through the heavy velvet curtain behind the throne and opened a stone wall. The secret door creaked ajar. Inside... was dim, warm, and peaceful. The dripping candlelight, like an hourglass, created shadows on the walls.
"No," Shigaraki said as he entered the room. "You are the king at the center of that board. But tonight... you will sleep. Whether you are the game master or think you are fate's pawn... I will be by your side."
He laid him down on the bed gently. Izuku's eyes were still half-open, a dull expression on his lips.
"I... just wanted to be a hero," he said again, almost to himself.
Shigaraki placed his hand on his forehead.
"And you... are perhaps the loneliest hero this world could ever see. But you are not alone anymore."
The lights flickered. Outside, the wind whispered.
And inside... Izuku, who was once an innocent child, fell silently asleep for the first time without making plans, without scribbling on pages. In the room hidden behind the throne room,the night stood watch with a single candle. And in that candle's flickering light,a child slept. Deep lines on his face. Purple tattoos coiling like snakes on his left arm. His breath,finally heavy but calm.
For the first time... Izuku was not fighting.
Shigaraki, sitting silently in the chair by the bedside, bowed his head, gently stroking his brother's hair. As his fingertips touched the curled strands,he reminded himself that he was still breathing. He swallowed.His eyes were distant.
Then, the back door opened with a firm, slow motion. Touya entered. A few glints from within his blue hair shimmered like flame in the candlelight.
He didn't approach immediately. He watched Izuku from a distance. His gaze wandered over Izuku's face as if trying to memorize a scene he hadn't seen in years. He swallowed. His voice finally broke forth:
“Finally… he’s stopped dancing on the edge of madness. For the first time in years…he’s grown tired and fallen asleep. How strange,isn’t it?”
There was no mockery in his voice. Just… the sigh of a brother. A broken, bashful affection.
Shigaraki smiled faintly. His hand was still on Izuku's hair.
"He pushed so many pieces onto the board... but none of them rested in his place."
Just then, another shadow slipped silently through the door.
Hawks.
He was silent. He moved behind Touya. Without saying a word, he gently wrapped his arms around his waist. This was a silence they were accustomed to. A touch lived in hiding, left unfinished, yet undefeated by time.
Touya didn't say anything. He just leaned back against the warm body of the man behind him. He didn't take his eyes off Izuku. They stayed like that for a while. Three men. Three broken pieces.
Shigaraki was the first to break the silence again. In a slow, muffled, yet certain voice:
"It's unclear how this game will end. Who will win and who will fall… Which piece will topple. Which hands will be deemed stained."
Touya bowed his head. He looked at his own hands. Then, at Izuku's sleeping body.
And he whispered:
"No matter how the game ends… What we will lose will always be... greater than what we will gain."
That sentence hung in the room. Everyone knew what he meant.
Since the moment they started walking by trusting each other, each of them had sacrificed something: a future, a childhood, a belief… But now,with Izuku sleeping in that bed, They all knew: With the collapse of that sleeping body,it wouldn't just be a game ending, but a revolution, a hope, a generation.
Before turning away, Touya took Hawks's hand. Shigaraki leaned over Izuku's bedside. And whispered silently:
“Sleep for now, little brother. But remember. This war… It already began in your dreams.”
---
In the silence of Saketo Hill, as Himiko's knife embedded itself in the ground before Uraraka, the Fallen Hero let out a low laugh. Turning to the heroes trying to decipher the mystery of his riddles, he deepened his voice and continued:
“Knowledge is hidden, kept from sight; But truth always reveals itself. Truths shattered in broken mirrors, Awaken old secrets as they unite.”
The woman beside him, Himiko, slightly opened her fan, playing with the shadows in the room. With her hands, she laid out the old parchments and electronic documents they had brought onto the table. They were covered in complex symbols and codes; the names of old heroes, drawings of the Commission's forbidden experiments, and the coordinates needed to trace them...
“Here lies... the Commission's darkest secret,” said the Fallen Hero, “The trace of the experiments inscribed on the bodies of Izuku and Touya... Test subjects, but also keys.”
Himiko added in a low voice:
“And now it is you who will use these keys... or those who seize them. Beware,every symbol, every password, Opens a new door,but causes just as many to close.”
As the heroes examined the documents, interconnected clues and hidden codes were being deciphered. The maps brought by La Brava and Gentle Criminal merged with the secret files Hawks had sent; all coming together to shed new light on the Commission's deep-laid plans.
At that moment, as Himiko's golden eyes looked at all the heroes with a cold challenge, the mocking expression on the Fallen Hero's face became even more pronounced:
“The end of this road is either freedom or ruin. But remember...In either case, Only a few will remain standing.”
A silence fell among the heroes. Their minds were filled with these new secrets. As the Fallen Hero and Himiko disappeared back into the shadows, the riddles they left behind continued to echo in the heroes' minds.
Chapter 53: · The Riddle of Blood and Ice
Summary:
Every hero has been deceived at some time. But those who awaken... can no longer stand as they did before
🐍🍷👑💫
Chapter Text
Saketo Hill – Whispers of the Past
A cool breeze blew softly over Saketo Hill; the rustling of the trees seemed to whisper ancient secrets. The heroes had gathered with the old documents and symbols in their hands. These were not mere scraps of paper; they were a map woven with complex riddles, the key to doors forgotten by time.
Gentle Criminal, twirling the cane in his hand, spoke in a low voice:
“Where ice and fire dance, lies the fear of the beast hidden in shadows. One wing burns with embers,the other freezes with ice; but only when the two unite does the true path open.”
La Brava approached quietly, her eyes gleaming:
“The blue flower, in the heart of the glass garden; it is the key to forgotten stories. His name is carved in the stars,the child his father forgot… He who touches that flower will burn a little,freeze a little, and grasp the secret from the heart.”
Shoto’s brow furrowed as he carefully examined the documents. “This shows our home… the Todoroki estate,” he said. “The glass garden is my mother Rei’s secret nook… The blue flower is her symbol. And that ‘beast’… is my father Enji, also known as Endeavor.”
Momo, piecing the papers together, added: “These riddles point not only to family secrets but also to the deepest shadows of the Commission. The hidden documents say that in a place called the ‘convergence of ice and fire,’ the Commission’s destructive power is hidden.”
Denki added, bewildered: “So this isn’t just a secret, it’s also a warning. The path we need to find is hidden within the clash of ice and fire.”
Uraraka took a deep breath: “And they say ‘if the red bird returns, you will find the door’… That bird might be Izuku’s symbol, leading us to the next step.”
La Brava smiled faintly, “The guides are always invisible. But when you find them, the secrets unfold on their own.”
Gentle Criminal added, alluding to the Fallen Hero and the woman who had just arrived: “The blood droplets on the fan, each drop a secret… And these secrets are the key to the war that will be written in the future.”
Shoto closed his eyes and fell silent for a moment, then murmured: “Ice and fire, my family and my past… I am not alone anymore. I have friends who will share this burden on their shoulders.”
The heroes took a step back and looked at each other. They knew that the riddles in their hands were only the beginning. What dark doors awaited them was still unknown. But the symbols they held would guide them through the unknowns.
And on Saketo Hill, within the mysterious winds, a new page was turning. The end of the road could not be seen until the riddles were solved. But one thing was certain: They were together. And now,it wasn't just darkness walking with them—light walked with them too.
---
The Glass Garden – A Scream Within the Silence
The wind on Saketo Hill had changed with the night. As small stones crunched underfoot,the stars winked far above, as if watching all that was unfolding.
Shoto Todoroki walked ahead. His eyes were fixed on the slope ahead. The wind whipped his hair across his face, and his left hand was clenched in a fist. With every step, his mother's voice echoed in his mind. “Shoto…I couldn’t protect you.” That sentence was no longer a dream,but a reality etched onto a document.
Behind him walked Momo, Jirou, Uraraka, Denki, and Mina. No one spoke. The stony paths of Saketo led them to a clearing.There, a circle of blue flowers glowed in the night. In its center was a cracked iron nameplate: "Glass Garden– To the Silence of Rei Todoroki"
Shoto knelt. He placed his palms on the earth. This soil… felt familiar. "Mother…did you come here? Did you hide here, pouring your tears into this soil?"
Momo sat on the ground. She arranged the documents beside her. Uraraka fell silent,just staring ahead. And suddenly—La Brava spoke.
“If a woman… falls silent, her screams are written into the earth.” “These flowers are the only place where those screams have taken root and grown.”
Gentle Criminal quietly spread a map on the ground. It was covered with symbols arranged side by side.A blue star. A flame beneath it. A note was attached:
“The ice born within the flame seeks the blue flower in its dream.” “The final echo hidden in the flower’s heart speaks with the mother’s voice.”
Jirou reached for one of the documents. On the edge of the page was a shaky sentence in Rei Todoroki’s handwriting: “Izuku…I saw that boy. In Enji’s room. They want to rebirth him. But not as a god—as a weapon.”
Shoto’s eyes widened. "Mother…she saw this."
Just then, soft footsteps sounded from behind them. They all turned,startled.
Someone emerged from the shadows. The Fallen Hero.His eyes held that familiar mockery. The silent woman walking beside him was this time looking directly at Uraraka. Her blood-patterned white kimono fluttered softly in the wind. She opened the fan in her hand, but this time the words came from the Fallen Hero:
“This is one of the seven gates buried beneath the earth.” “If the blue flower grows,pain will be revealed.” “The ice that hides the flame finally learns to cry.”
Shoto stood up. "You…what do you know about my mother?"
The woman didn't speak. The Fallen Hero smiled.
“Child of ice and fire... once a mirror cracks, it no longer reflects. It swallows. Your mother’s voice is still here. But be careful… sometimes love is also part of an experiment.”
Uraraka stepped forward. She raised her hand; she wasn’t afraid. The woman’s eyes locked onto hers.
“Women… are left alone in war.” “But you…Uraraka… who held you before you fell?” Suddenly,a blade shot from the fan and embedded itself in the ground right in front of Uraraka.
Beneath it was a document. In Rei Todoroki’s own handwriting:
“That boy… his eyes were emerald green. But a serpent coiled within them. When Enji spoke of him… he said, ‘I will play with my own child against God.’ That boy… was afraid.”
Silence fell. Starlight fell upon the blue flowers.
---
The silence echoing among the blue flowers was suddenly broken. The wind had changed direction—a pair of feet passed over the stones.Then another pair.
From the shadows, the Fallen Hero appeared first. The symbols embroidered on his dark cloak glinted in the starlight.Behind him, an unidentified woman in a white kimono walked slowly. Despite the mask covering her face, her shining golden eyes scanned everyone.
In her hand was a white fan. The patterns on it looked like flowers from a distance; but anyone looking closely would see they symbolized droplets of blood.
The woman’s eyes fixed directly on Uraraka Ochako.
Uraraka’s breath caught for a moment. An old scar deep within her abdomen began to throb.
The woman stopped. She opened the fan. A small sparrow flew out from within.Its feathers were a dirty white, but it carried a tiny scroll in its beak. It landed right in front of Ochako.
On the paper was written a single riddle:
“If a rose is watered with blood, will it live? And if the one who stabs you is the one who lets you live,which do you remember?”
Uraraka’s face turned deathly pale. In that instant,the bloody morning from eight years ago flashed before her eyes. In the midst of battle,she had fallen to the ground with a scream. Toga… Had loomed over her,her eyes filled with madness, pain, and... a mixed expression of compassion. When she pulled her knife out,Toga's blood had smeared on her own hands. But then she had bent down and cut herself. She had smeared her own blood onto Uraraka’s lips.
“No matter what they say about me,” Toga had said that day, “I lived the way I wanted.You live too, no matter what. You fought me, but I didn’t want you to die…”
Ochako’s knees gave way. She knelt among the blue flowers. Her hands trembled.
La Brava and Gentle Criminal retreated. The Fallen Hero stepped forward. The mockery in his voice was veiled with a darkness that rumbled like thunder:
“Eight years ago… the Commission’s hero games tore the sky open. But look now… Who was it that conscripted children,calling you heroes? How many children wept silently in Endeavour’s blue room? Who was it that turned you into masks,stripping you of your identities?”
He let a few pages fall to the ground. The documents bore seals,dates, and old, familiar names. One was Rei Todoroki’s therapist notes. Another,an observation report on Uraraka submitted to the Commission before her graduation. And one—a letter stained with blood—contained the door number of the facility where Toga Himiko was held as a child.
The Fallen Hero spoke again:
“Every hero has been deceived at some time. But those who awaken...can no longer stand as they did before.” “Now I leave you with a single riddle, And whoever dares to solve it...will see the future.”
“Three eyes, three gates—one blue, one blood, one mirror. Which gate makes you you,which one takes from you?”
The woman slowly closed her fan. She looked at Uraraka. And spoke only one sentence:
“I never forgot you. Those who share pain are sometimes the ones who remain the most distant.”
Then their footsteps slowly blended into the shadows. The woman vanished.
🌒 Dream: The Lonely Child's Garden
Beneath a dark sky stretched a garden covered in dead leaves. There was neither moon nor star in the sky. Everything was tinged with ash.
Izuku was there. Barefoot. His green eyes were still childlike. The hero's cape,too large for his small frame, dragged on the ground.
In the middle of the garden was a swing. Someone was sitting on it, their back turned. They weren't moving. Their hair wavered between black and green.Their small shoulders were trembling.
Izuku approached. But with every step he took,the earth beneath his feet turned black.
The child turned.
He came face to face with himself. But the eyes were empty.The lips didn't move. Yet a voice echoed around:
“You wanted to be a hero.” “But first,you let everyone sacrifice you to a great evil.”
The swing ropes snapped on their own. The child was flung into the air,turning to ash.
Suddenly, the dreamscape changed. Izuku found himself inside a labyrinth.The walls were made of glass. A face was reflected on every wall: Katsuki.Rei. Ochako. Shoto. Aoyama. All Might. His mother. Each was saying something,but the words were unintelligible.
Finally, there was a corridor. At the end of the corridor stood a large door carved with serpent figures.
An inscription above the door:
“An end for those who believed in you, An eternal lament for those who forgot you.”
Izuku pushed the door open. Inside was an exact copy of the throne room.But it was empty. In the center were mirrors. And in the mirror,he was there… But he was neither hero nor villain. He was a mastermind. A nobody. A legend. A child. A monster. A victim…
He looked into his own eyes.
Then a hand touched his shoulder from behind.
The voice was a whisper, but familiar.
“Awaken, Hebi no Koe (Voice of the Serpent). The new game has begun. But this time… The throne is your hell.” Izuku’s eyes slowly opened. Silence still dominated the room. He noticed the blanket pulled over his shoulders.The shadow of Shigaraki watching him, Hawks’s silent wait, and Touya’s distant presence… But now,the dream had overtaken reality.
Chapter 54: Pieces on the chessboard
Notes:
The 53rd episode was quite short, it was like a transition episode. We are going to get into the events a little more with this episode. Continue reading, dear readers, don't forget to comment. Love you guyss! 🐍🍷👑
Chapter Text
He opened his eyes in a cold, sharp silence.
For a while, he stared at the ceiling. His breathing was irregular. His heart was still pounding in his chest from the echo of the words he'd heard in his dream. He buried his head in his hands, his fingers digging into his forehead. His nails almost pierced his skin.
"It was all... it was all so close." It was a hushed whisper.But it contained storms within.
Shigaraki, Touya, and Hawks were calling to him. But he heard none of them.
He was awake, but he couldn't escape his dream.
The area under his eyes was dark, his skin pale, his body like a ruin left by war. But most of all… he was tired inside. He ignored the voices coming from behind him.
— "Izuku?" Shigaraki's voice was low.It carried a sleep-laced concern.
— "Brother… are you okay?" Hawks stepped a little closer,but he was cautious. As if afraid to touch a wound.
— "Snap out of it. Don't let the dream shatter you like this."
But the boy—the man who was once a boy—didn't answer any of them. He slowly rose to his feet. Despite his trembling legs,he walked with determined steps toward the throne room. Without waiting for anyone to follow… As if searching for a void where he could speak only to its walls. Izuku walked into the throne room,his eyes bloodshot. The door opened with a loyalty that recognized his presence. His footsteps were heavy,each step echoing like a fall. He did not sit on his throne. First,he walked to the wall.
The ancient symbols drawn there were no longer sufficient. The game had changed. The throne room was illuminated by a faint blue light burning within.The old flowers in the glass cases had withered. The silence echoing between the pillars seemed almost to speak with his madness.
Izuku did not sit on his throne.
Instead, he walked to the wall. He ran his hands over the cracked stones;there was dried blood on his fingertips. He picked up a piece of chalk.It was broken. He knelt on his knees.
And he drew.
First, a serpent's head. Then the serpent's coils. Next to it,a written word:
“Born from death.”
Next to it, another symbol: An inverted star. And beneath it,a single sentence:
“The shadow within the light chokes the light within the shadow.” Then he drew another line. The first line:the open maw of a serpent. The second line:a chess piece pointing at the head—the queen. Then…an eye hidden within a hexagonal circle.
Next to it, he wrote a sentence as if whispering:
“The king lost in sleep forgets his throne. But every dream carries his trace.”
The silence behind him was now more tense.
Touya crossed his arms over his chest. He shrugged, but he didn't take his eyes off his brother scribbling on the wall.
— “He’s insane. There’s no doubt now,” he said quietly to Hawks. “Whatever he’s seeing… it’s something other than us. We all think we’re playing a game. But he thinks he’s already won.”
His voice carried not anger, but a strange admiration.
— “This is where he drew the world’s greatest plan. But right before our eyes, the world’s greatest madness is on display. And we… are content just to watch.”
Shigaraki took a step forward, his brow furrowed.
— “Touya… that’s enough. Stop calling him ‘mad’.” He turned his gaze to the symbols on the wall. “If we cannot see what he sees…that is our lack. Not his.”
Touya shrugged again. Touya sighed,but he didn't look away. —“He’s drawing the final plan for the world right before our eyes. And we’re just watching.” But his eyes betrayed a truth he couldn't hide:He was afraid.
Izuku finally completed the last line. He stood up. Slowly turned around. He was still wearing that old,torn jacket. The serpents that looked like tattoos seemed to coil on his arms. His emerald eyes were tired,but they shone.
And then…
He smiled.
Not like a man on the edge of madness, But like one who had long since passed it.
Blood slowly trickled from his nose. It dripped down his cheeks. But he didn't care.
— “The pieces are set. The moves are counted. Now... only the sacrifices will speak.”
And then he turned his head back.
Toward the wall, he wrote another new riddle.
“The hero who forgets his name, Does not remember whose sword he carries. But the enemy always possesses the memory.”
His back was in the shadows, his face illuminated by the glow of the symbols on the wall. He added one more circle.Inside it, he wrote a single sentence.
“The final piece has fallen. The dream is over. Now it's the monster's turn.” Then he turned. His eyes—those tired,shattered emerald eyes—now held a storm. Blood was beginning to trickle from his nose. But his lips curled.
He smiled. Like a child of endless darkness. The boy who was once"Deku"... now stood before us as "Hebi no Koe" (Voice of the Serpent).
And quietly, in a voice almost like a song, he said:
— “The board is set. The sacrifices chosen. Let the chess begin.And this time… the king has opened his eyes.”
Behind him, the three men were silent. Hawks held his breath. Touya chose to be silent for the first time. Shigaraki's eyes were locked on his brother—filled with pride,fear, and loss.
The game had begun again. And this time,Izuku Midoriya was writing the rules.
The Glass Garden – A Tremor Within the Silence
The sun had hidden behind Sake-to Hill; the pale light filtering through the glass panels painted the Garden in dull gold tones. The wind,weaving through the broken branches and drifting inside, seemed to carry the whispers of old times. Sparrows flew in the distance.But one... just one, had come much closer.
When Ochako looked up, she met those golden eyes. The woman in the white kimono sprinkled with blood-red patterns was still twirling a fan between her fingers. Even if she didn't speak,her eyes did.
And then… the Fallen Hero stepped forward. He laid out the symbols on the ground with his fingertips,as if initiating an ancient ritual.
“Born of fire, raised by ice. The oath hidden within the shadow… The name that makes lost hearts beat again:Sake-to.”
The woman, however, only turned to Ochako. From inside her coat,she pulled out something wrapped in an old piece of cloth. From the wrapping,a small piece of paper—stained with dried blood, edges torn. Another riddle.
“I came to kill you... but I wanted you to live. Because you did what I could not: ‘You didn't give up,despite love.’”
The woman’s eyes glinted slightly. And she flung a thin piece of metal,torn from her fan, along with the riddle, toward Ochako. The blade stuck into the ground. The information was nailed down.
Ochako was frozen. This woman...this voice... was the owner of the blade that had once pierced her heart. And again,she was speaking to her from within a bloody past. Toga...but she was no longer just a name. She was a shadow. The ghost of an unrequited love.
Her eyes welled up. She clenched her fists. She whispered to herself: “I...never gave up. Not on my love for Toga, not on my belief that she could be saved.” And this riddle felt like a confirmation. Perhaps they were no longer enemies. Perhaps...everything was much more complicated.
As Shoto examined the document in his hand, his knees felt weak. Endeavour's fabrication,maintained for years to deceive the public... The fake reports written after Izuku's"death"... The letters Rei wrote with tears but could never send...
They were all before him. That his older brother,the heir to the blue flames, was once meant to be the most feared weapon… Yet all he wanted was to remain a child…
The Fallen Hero approached him.
“Child of fire, sworn to ice… The monster did not birth you,it imprisoned you within itself. Now the choice is yours: Will you break the chain,or will you fight with it?”
Shoto bowed his head. Tears dripped onto the soil. Mina,approaching his side, placed a hand on his shoulder. Denki looked on quietly,tilting his head. Momo stepped in front of Shoto.
— “You are our heart,” she said. “You don't fight with your fire, but with your heart
Shoto, Uraraka, Momo, Sero, Mina, Denki, Jirou, Iida, Katsuki, Kirishima, Tsuyu… The documents were before them. The clues Toga left,the symbols given by the fallen hero… La Brava and Gentle Criminal unfolded the map in their hands.
— “The new route is clear,” said Gentle. “The Commission’s still-active‘Red Tower’ system... You can’t end this game without reaching it.”
The symbols on the documents bore the traces of old hero facilities. One of them was very familiar. “If the red bird returns,the serpent closes its eyes.” It was a riddle Izuku had said before.
The heroes looked at each other. They were all tired.They were all broken. But they were together.
And one of them, Iida, stood up. —“We won’t run this time. This time, we’ll go to the very end.”
And Katsuki placed the last document in his hand on the ground.
“Then the name of the new plan is clear: ‘Journey to the Heart of the Night.’”
🌑 The Commission – The Pinnacle of Darkness
The room at the pinnacle seemed plunged into darkness. Data on the electronic panels flickered erratically;one of the screens repeatedly displayed an “Access Denied” warning.
The Commission President stood up angrily, wiping sweat from his brow. "How..."he said to himself, his voice cracking. “We destroyed them all.The documents were eliminated, the hidden rooms sealed...”
And yet…
A screen suddenly went black. And in the darkness,a green line of text appeared:
“I refused to be a pawn in this game.” “Now I am setting the board.”
One of the Commission’s technicians staggered back. "He's connected...he's connected to the system's main neural network—who did this?!"
Another screamed: "Look at the screens!"
All the screens changed one by one. A shadowy,silhouette-like figure appeared: Someone with glowing eyes, head bowed low. Blood trickled from the tip of his nose.The black tattoo rising to his shoulder seemed to shimmer. And his voice... His voice came down directly on their nerve endings like a metallic echo:
“You built a reign upon the backs of children.” “And you forgot…some children, as they grow up, don't just become heroes.” “Some…become nightmares.”
The President’s hand came down on the table. “Hebi no Koe…”he whispered. “This is impossible…”
Izuku tapped his fingertips on the arm of his throne. He watched the Commission members kneeling before the screens.
"A final riddle for you," he said. "The serpent loves the dark. But when you close your eyes… It finds it easier to know where to sink its venom."
A laugh erupted in the room—warped, unhinged, but intelligent. Izuku's hands had already begun drawing new symbols. The screens began to fizzle out one after another. Data centers corrupted,backup files deleted. And worse…
"Saketo Hill…" said an officer. "They've found the secret there.All of it!"
The President's eyes widened. “No…no...”
“That boy has returned,” said a fallen voice, “and this time,you have nothing to silence him with.”
The Throne Room – The Pleasure of the Poison
The room was silent.
Izuku’s throne stood stark, like a dais built amongst broken stones. Dim light filtered over the symbols he had drawn on the walls;the black pen snaking through his fingers coiled incessantly.
Directly in front of him, translucent holographic screens: The Commission's halls in a panic,screams, fear-filled orders, coordinates... And every face was a game piece being watched on the screen.
Izuku watched, his eyes narrowed. The veins on his forehead were pronounced,the blood seeping from his nose tracing a thin line down his chest. But his expression was...
Satisfaction. Pure,unadulterated gratification. The quiet joy of a child crushing a giant system in the palm of his hand.
Behind him, three figures whispered: Touya,hands clasped behind his back, shook his head from side to side. Shigaraki,silent but alert, watched his brother, his furrowed brow masking an inner anxiety. Hawks,meanwhile, leaned against the wall, covering his eyes with his hands. He waited silently.
“He’s getting crazier,” Touya said mockingly. “If this continues,soon he won’t be able to get up from that throne. With every plan, he buries himself deeper.”
Shigaraki took a step forward. “How many times do I have to tell you?Don’t call him crazy. We know what madness looks like. He… He’s just been awake for far too long.”
Touya turned his head and smiled: “All madmen think they are‘awake,’ Tomura. But we are just watching now. And I must admit…”His eyes shifted to the child he saw sitting on the throne. “Watching such an aesthetic downfall is a work of art in itself.”
At that very moment, Izuku turned around.
On his face was a smile shaped with a devilish yet flawless grace. As subtle as poison,as sharp as a blade.
“They are making plans,” he said. He swiped a screen in the air with his fingers,switching to another room.
“They’ve mobilized the reserve army.” “They are trying to reactivate the hidden facility.” “But there’s a small problem…”
The screens suddenly went dark. This time,Izuku’s voice seemed to come from inside the Commission’s very hall:
“You thought you were playing a game. But I tore down the board long ago.” “Now you are just dancing on the rubble.”
He let out a laugh. He had thrown his head back slightly. The crack in his voice was the echo of years of sleeplessness and suppressed rage.
Shigaraki slowly approached. When he saw the blood trickling from his brother's nose,a thought crossed his mind: "How much longer can this child endure like this?"
Hawks was silent. He just placed a hand on Touya's shoulder. Touya was also watching…with admiration, fear, and the bitterness of seeing something familiar again.
“Izuku,” said Shigaraki, his voice soft but clear, “Stop playing.We can make plans. You need to rest. You haven't even slept an hour since you woke up—”
But Izuku turned his head and smiled:
“Sleeplessness is just a price.” “Victory always demands a price…sometimes blood.”
And he began to draw a new symbol with his fingers.
This time, what he drew was a serpent biting its own tail. Ouroboros. The eternal cycle. The symbol of one who cannot recreate without first destroying.
---
As the mist atop the hill slowly dispersed, the sky hung over the land like a grey veil. Saketo Hill... The place where,years ago, Touya first hurled his flames into the sky, Where Izuku decided to start a hope born from darkness, And where now,the 11 Stars searched for the future amongst the ruins.
The rhythm of footsteps moving amongst the slightly cracked stones of the earth did not break the silence. But there was something in that silence. Like a heartbeat… Like the echo of a past… Like a child's cry.
The heroes—Shoto, Uraraka, Momo, Jirou, Denki, Mina, and the others—held the documents in their hands as if they weren't really holding them. As if each page grew a little heavier, Each symbol revealed a little more of the past.
Only Shoto noticed the glint of the old crystal on his necklace still vibrating with the symbols on the wall. It was a kind of call. A kind of acceptance. A cipher distilled from blood,pain, and betrayal.
And at that moment… the air at the end of the tunnel changed.
The shadows did not recede. On the contrary,they took shape.
When the Fallen Hero appeared, he made no sound. But his presence was like a scream. Like a forgotten vow. Like a memory with its wounds unconcealed.
A figure appeared beside him: A white kimono,dotted with red spots like scattered blood drops. Golden-yellow eyes,as impatient as the fingers toying with her fan. A life hidden behind a mask. But her eyes—they were searching for one person only.
Uraraka.
A blade, suddenly detached from the fan the woman held, embedded itself at Uraraka's feet. A sparrow flew out from the envelope. It was alive. The beat of its wings carried not wind,but a riddle.
And then the woman spoke. Her voice wasn't mocking… It was tired.
🕊️
“It was eight years ago. Your hands were on the hilt of that blade you plunged into my heart. But I didn't die. Why? Because you didn't want me to die. So I gave you my blood. Now I ask: Who did you really save,Uravity?”
Uraraka’s eyes widened. She remembered that day. In the midst of battle,she had seen the desperation in her enemy's eyes. Himiko Toga… It was her. But now she was something else. A mask…but a ghost bearing truth beneath it.
The Fallen Hero spread the documents on the ground behind the woman.
Files... Papers rescued from the ashes,their burns still visible... Endeavour's confidential reports to the Commission. Izuku's childhood tests. Touya's first escape plan. The proposed procedures for keeping Shoto under control.
And a video…
🕯️
“Code: Δ-0. Observation:Subject No. 13 Note:‘Developing emotional attachments. Can be eliminated if necessary.’”
Shoto fell to his knees. Uraraka struggled to breathe. Jirou's hands were no longer hearing sounds,but heartbeats.
And the Fallen Hero turned his head at that moment. He looked at Shoto. His voice cracked the walls:
🗝️
“The first step was forgotten. The second step was washed away with lies. The third step was sealed with blood. But the final step… ...is now ready.”
Mina asked: “What is the final step?”
The woman spoke this time. She never took her eyes off Uraraka:
“To return to yourself, you must first forget who you are. But once you remember… You can never stay the same.”
And as the documents burned in their hands, As the truths settled in their palms like embers, They now knew.
This wasn't just the fall of the Commission. This was the rebirth of the fallen heroes.
---
Hero Commission Headquarters
The air in the underground meeting room was heavy. The wall screens that once spoke with absolute authority now flickered with alarm lights. Security personnel collided with each other,data lines short-circuiting. There was a president in the room—a woman with bleeding lips and trembling hands. She had never needed to raise her voice before. But now,even her screams couldn't silence the systems.
Because the truths had spread to all centers.
The documents provided by the Fallen Hero… Had suddenly leaked onto the internet,into underground newspapers, onto street walls, even into the game apps children played.
📍 Endeavour's reconstruction plans – were fake. 📍Touya's death report – was fabricated. 📍The reason Izuku was taken into Commission testing – wasn't family ties, it was genetic engineering. 📍Shoto's observation records – were those of a controlled "weapon".
Beneath the documents, this sentence glowed:
“You are not justice. You are fear. And fear is now returning.”
The President was struggling to stand. An aide clung to her hands,but there was no fear in his eyes anymore. Only confusion and shame.
— “Was all of this… a lie?” a young agent whispered.
The President punched the wall.
— “Silence! It's not over yet! We still have the media, the troops, the supporters—”
Suddenly, one of the screens crackled.
A dark throne room appeared. A figure with emerald eyes faced them.
Izuku… Hebi no Koe.
There was a smile on his face. The dark circles under his eyes,the bloodstain on his forehead, And the scorn at the corner of his lips, Silenced the entire system.
He didn't speak. He just delivered his judgment with a look.
Then, as if the system itself were his to command, all the lights went out. The screens went black. Electronic files were deleted.
An automated voice echoed in the room:
“Protocol Serpent Shadow activated. The descent process has begun. There is nowhere to run.”
---
Meanwhile, on Saketo Hill, as the heroes examined the documents, another encrypted note opened.
Attached to Touya's file, it bore an old Time Seal.
La Brava called out excitedly:
— “This is… a countdown! The entire system will shut down completely in 18 minutes!”
Shoto’s eyes narrowed. Jirou heard the music on one of the documents. Ochako looked at the sparrow in her hand;it still hadn't flown away.
And a single word… "Ruin", was scrawled in a child's handwriting in one corner.
The silence descending upon the Commission Was not just the ruin of a system, But of an ideology,a belief, a lie.
Now the people would pour into the streets, The heroes would face the past, And most importantly—Izuku would place the final piece on the game board.
Chapter 55: The price of victory
Summary:
"There are two thrones. One for victory. The other for hope. The price of victory will be the loss of love. The price of hope… is the hatred of the entire world."
"The choice is yours, Kacchan."
🫀💥🐍🍷
Notes:
Yes, how are you, my dear readers? I'm here with a new chapter, but be careful—this chapter contains spoilers for our finale! It depends on how carefully you read it.‼️
Do you think victory will be ours, the heroes', or the Commission's?
Izuku and Katsuki finally confront each other!🫀💥🐍
Chapter Text
The Truth Hidden Behind a Grave”
Graves hold a silence. Sometimes a silence so deep… That if you were to scream,not even its echo would rise. Because the scream itself had died there. Katsuki Bakugou stood motionless before the headstone.
Moonlight spilled onto the carved granite, caressing the letters of the stone that read Izuku Midoriya. As if the night itself was running its fingers over this lie.
“Izuku Midoriya The Last Light of the Age of Heroes 199X– 20XX”
Katsuki dropped the heavy, iron-handled sledgehammer to the ground. It wasn’t a clink;that sound was a warning. His trembling fingers ran through his hair. His eyes were bloodshot.
— “Eight years… Eight long years. Every night…I was here. Knowing they were lying to you.”
He fell to his knees. His palms sank into the mud. With all his heroism,his power, his rage... He couldn’t suppress the child within him at that moment.
The first blow. The headstone cracked.
The second blow. A piece of the surface fell off,mixing with the soil.
The third blow… Something opened. What emerged wasn’t an empty coffin, But a box… A box consciously placed there. From it,a photograph unseen for years slipped into his palms.
Katsuki and Izuku.
In front of a wall. Katsuki isn’t smiling,but his shoulder is leaning against Izuku’s. Izuku is laughing… Happiness almost seems to wink,real as day.
But the photo was burned. Its edges were charred,fingerprints smudged its surface. And part of Izuku’s face… Was blurred,as if smeared with blood or tears.
📜 A note. In Izuku’s handwriting:
“Graves do not silence, they cover the weight of silenced hearts. If you are breaking this place… It means you are ready to seek the truth. Not every hero radiates light. Some heroes scrape their fingers raw in the darkness.”
No sound came from Katsuki’s throat. But tears threatened to spill from the corners of his eyes. Just then…
Darkness had descended upon the night like a shawl. And from within that shawl,a figure emerged. A pitch-black cloak,a mask adorned with golden embroidery glinted.
The Fallen Hero bowed silently. He extended a small,silver box to Katsuki.
“The rose beneath the stone withers with time. But the secret carved into the rose’s shadow still gleams. If the‘emerald-eyed child’ is the answer to everything… Then the red-eyed child is the one who asked the question.”
When Katsuki touched the box, a mechanism clicked.
Three things came out of it:
1. A seal: The symbol of Hebi no Koe (Voice of the Serpent).
2. A Commission document: An order regarding destruction carried out at a secret facility.
3. A small chess piece. Transparent. A single word was written on it in golden handwriting:
"Saketo."
Katsuki flinched. That word had echoed even in his dreams.
— “What is this?” he asked, his voice cracking.
The Fallen Hero spoke:
— “The first move has been made, Ground Zero. You are no longer a pawn on the chessboard. You…are the heart of the second person.”
And then he vanished. Leaving only a drop of blood that had dripped from the box on the ground.
---
♟️ The Game Board: Saketo – The Chess Game Begins
In a war room, Izuku was drawing new symbols on the walls. Shigaraki watched him,Touya rolling his eyes.
— “Look, his nose is bleeding again,” said Touya. —“This is the portrait of madness being drawn right here.”
Shigaraki, in a sharp voice:
— “Shut up!” he said. “The child you call mad might be the very reason you and I are still standing.”
Izuku turned around.
He read the words he had carved into the wall:
“This is not the final step. Only the first collapse. The chess game begins. If the King acts like a pawn... The board itself will be the loser.”
And he smiled.
Another drop of blood ran from his nose.
Far away, in another location, Katsuki clenched the transparent chess piece in his hand.
At that moment... It was as if someone breathed in and out in sync with him. Somewhere else,the same heart beat.
"I still love you, Deku..." He murmured silently.
And a whisper came from within the night: “Then make the right move,Kacchan.”
♟️ ACT ONE: New Route, New Truth
The group of eleven stars at Saketo had fallen into silence. The document from the box was spread out on the table.It bore old Japanese symbols and seals, some smudged with what looked like blood.
La Brava bit her lip as she worked on the digital lock on the document. Gentle Criminal adjusted his glasses, seeming to converse with the symbols on the paper.
And then Momo’s voice was heard:
— “This is… the blueprint for the old tunnels beneath UA.”
Shoto stepped closer. A word written beneath the symbols caught his eye: “Founder Protocol:Spider Web.”
— “This isn’t a defense system…” he said, “This is…an execution network.”
Mina swallowed hard:
— “What do you mean?”
Denki whispered:
— “If this is true… The Commission didn’t just collect intel… They rewrote the system.”
Gentle interjected:
— “Every symbol… contains a hero’s real name. If one is erased,the system collapses. But one name here has been erased:Hebi no Koe.”
La Brava raised her hand, a serious expression on her face:
— “And this… is the final coordinate. A passage leading out from UA. It can only be opened once.”
📍 A new route had been revealed: The forgotten"Point Zero" in the basement of UA High. The heroes exchanged looks.
Shoto whispered calmly:
— “This… will either solve everything. Or it will be our end.”
♜ ACT TWO: The Royal Plan of Madness
Symbols had appeared on the dusty walls. Lines mixing red,black, and emerald green were like a topographical map of a revolution.
There was the silhouette of a child kneeling before a throne: Izuku Midoriya.
When he rose, his shoulders were slumped, but his eyes… They were burning.
Shigaraki moved as if to take a step closer, but Touya stopped him with a hand.
— “Don’t touch him. This…is no longer the child we knew. He is the first founder playing the game.”
Hawks was silent. He just watched Izuku’s back, and repeated the sentence falling from his own lips in his mind:
"We are the children of those who lit the way by burning themselves."
Izuku approached the throne. He placed the black stones in his hand onto the table one by one. Each stone represented a name:
“Katsuki”
“Shoto”
“Ochako”
“Momo”
“Touya”
“Sero”
“Denki”
“Jirou”
“Mina”
“Tsuyu”
“Iida”
And the final piece. Emerald colored,standing alone. It bore the symbol of a serpent.
Izuku whispered:
— “The King has moved. Now it’s the shadows’turn…”
A new riddle was written on the walls, not in blood;but in exhaustion.
“The Red shall awaken with his fire. Ice shall crack the glass. And the serpent shall be the final link. The truth is only visible to those who look in the mirror.”
Another drop of blood trickled from his nose. Izuku raised his head and smiled.
Touya grumbled:
— “His nose is bleeding again. That smile again… This kid is redefining madness.”
Shigaraki remained silent. But Hawks spoke in a low voice:
— “No. He is just… the only child about to break the world. And we…are watching that world with him.”
The heroes advancing through the mist on Saketo Hill were almost silent. Their steps were careful, heavy, and resolute, as if accompanying one another. In their hands, they held documents carrying the secrets and the scent of blood from years past. Symbols, maps, codes… All were clues that would lead them to the final step, to Point Zero. La Brava and Gentle Criminal whispered quietly beside them like guides,trying to illuminate the meanings of the riddles that grew more complex with each step.
Shoto tossed back his hair, flowing in the cold wind. His eyes seemed to see a part of the unknown path stretching before them; they were burdened with the secret of centuries, the weight of his family, and the heaviness of the fire and ice he carried within… Momo, Mina, and Denki beside him were aware of the fragile man inside him, feeling their silent support. “Every symbol is a lock,every lock is a door…” murmured Gentle Criminal, “And we are looking for the key.” Katsuki Bakugou stood before the grave where he had stood alone for so long. His hands were still bloody,his heart shattered. The headstone was a symbol of the pain and hope he had placed there for years,but now that stone was also shattered. He struck it once more with the large sledgehammer in his hand, and the stone disintegrated into clouds of dust. Every fragment was a reflection of the heartbreak,rage, and silence he had kept inside.
“Izuku...” he whispered, his voice cracking. “I thought you were dead. For years I cried before your grave. I shattered my own heart. You left me. You left me alone...” But now,he knew he was still alive. This truth was both a relief and gnawed at him with a deep ache. “Your survival…became my ruin,” he said, his eyes welling up. “Your survival scattered the ashes of the hopes I had left. Why, Deku? Why did you leave me behind?”
He slowly opened the documents from the box. Each page was like a secret whispering from the darkness of the past. A piece of a map,symbols nearly erased… And that faded writing: “The key is hidden in the past.In the place you forgot it.”
With trembling hands, Katsuki pulled an old, faded photograph from his pocket. Izuku and himself,years ago, two smiling youths side by side. In that moment,amidst all the hurt, he felt that their bond was still not broken. “I’m angry that you’re alive,”he said quietly, “but it’s worse that I couldn’t find you where I waited for you...” And the knot in his throat grew larger.
Just then, his device rang. Shoto’s voice came through: “The passage has been found.But it’s locked. The code is missing.”
Katsuki took a deep breath, gripping the box tightly instead of the hammer. “I have the code,”he said in a determined voice. “It’s time to go.”
At the same time, the other heroes on Saketo Hill had completed their preparations. They were uniting once more,giving meaning to the pieces they held. “The new route is clear,”said Shoto. “But this is the start. The path to Point Zero is full of obstacles.” La Brava and Gentle Criminal spoke as if whispering their assigned task: “Every symbol is a secret,every secret is a threat.” The heroes were coming together,hand in hand, to march toward the same goal. And most importantly,they carried a piece of hope: the box in Katsuki’s hand…
But far away, the Commission's headquarters was dark and silent. This time,panic and fear spread like a cold wave. “They are approaching Point Zero,”said an official in a trembling voice. “He…GROUND ZERO is carrying the code from the box.” The President’s face was stern,fear and anger flashing in her eyes simultaneously. “If he gets through,all games are over. We are on the edge of the abyss...”
“When the Serpent’s Eyes Open”
Commission Center – The Heart of Darkness
Footsteps echoing off the walls cut through the air like a knife. The Commission President walked into her room not with her usual stony mask,but with a face filled with anger, fear, and a maddened determination.
Huge holographic screens flickered with data streaming from Saketo. Katsuki Bakugou’s advance was clear.With the box that would open Point Zero in his hand, he was marching to expose secrets hidden for years. And they had to stop him.At any cost.
The President issued the order aloud:
“I don’t care if this leads to a public crisis. Stop Ground Zero. No—KILL HIM.”
As the words left her mouth, the lights in the room seemed to dim further. Two figures silently detached from the dark corners. Assassins. They had no faces.But their purpose was clear. To eliminate Ground Zero.
Izuku Midoriya, Hebi no Koe, was silent on his throne. His eyes were fixed on the dark screens. His fingers dug into the armrests of the throne,his nails cracking the cold metal surface. All his plans,every calculation… They were perfect. But no calculation would allow Katsuki to be touched.
The words echoing on the screen, the President’s voice, the orders given to the assassins… They were all like daggers in Izuku’s mind.
He took a deep breath. His eyes flashed. The dark veins beneath the green were tinged with shades of black.
He rose slowly. His footsteps echoed off the bare stone walls. Behind him,the riddle still written on the dusty wall trembled:
“When the serpent’s eyes open, the throne will shake.”
He reached for his cloak.
An elegant yet terrifying cloak of black embroidered with green, covering his back from head to toe. On the shoulder,serpent fangs; on the back, the ancient symbol of a coiling serpent. The embroidered motifs were a reminder of the fallen heroes of ancient peoples.
He put it on.
And for the first time... he left his throne.
He only whispered:
“If they touch him... I will bring everything they sit upon...crashing down on their heads.”
Katsuki walked alone. He clutched the box tightly. His eyes carried the traces of the past,the calculations of the future, and the unfinished story of his heart.
Unbeknownst to him, two figures watched from the darkness. One silently cleaned his weapon,the other merely observed.
And in the sky... A storm approached from the north. The Fangs of the Serpent
Saketo Pass – In the Darkness of Night
The sky was full of moans, as if invisible giants were snarling at each other. Clouds had descended upon the mountains like a funeral shroud, smothering the moonlight. There was no rain, but the air held a heavy dampness, a salty smell—the sharp scent of sweat, blood, and betrayal.
Katsuki Bakugou’s footsteps echoed on the stones as he advanced through the narrow pass. His left hand clutched the metal box pressed tightly against his chest. What he carried inside was not just a key, but a weapon that would settle the score of years. A real monument to be erected in place of that fake headstone he had cried before.
But he was no longer alone.
The shadows weren't following him.
The shadows were hunting him.
The first strike blended into the night—a knife, plunging into his shoulder. The second, into the back of his knee. But he didn't fall. He couldn't fall.
"The order is clear, Ground Zero." The voice from the darkness was icy. "You've lived too long."
Katsuki slowly turned around. His lips held his usual defiant smile, but this time, blood mixed with his teeth.
"I'm not living too long," he spat. "You... are too late."
Explosions tore through the night. But his body was heavy, blood seeping from his wounds onto the box. With a final move, he pressed the box to his chest.
"I will get this to him," he snarled to himself. "No matter the cost."
When the third strike came, the knife plunging into his chest, his breath caught. He collapsed to his knees.
And right at that moment—
The sky was torn asunder.
---
When the Serpent Came – The Birth of Hebi no Koe
A whistling sound.
Then an explosion—but not of fire, of pure rage. The earth cracked, trees were uprooted, shadows fled.
And he appeared.
Izuku Midoriya had arrived, tearing through the night. On his back, a flowing black cloak embroidered with a coiling serpent in emerald green. His face was a mask—the face of a god dancing with death, glowing in the dark.
Slowly, he approached the one lying on the ground.
Katsuki was still breathing. His blood mixed with the soil, but his eyes, though blurry, could see Izuku. His lips moved:
"I hate... you..."
A cough. Blood.
"Because... I... love you..."
Izuku knelt. His hands touched Katsuki's face. Time stopped.
And he kissed him.
Blood, salt, madness, and the pain of lost years... All merged in that single touch.
Katsuki's eyes closed.
And in that moment—
Izuku vanished.
---
Venom Released – The Fall of a Kingdom
When he stood up, he was unrecognizable. The serpent on his cloak seemed to come alive, its eyes shining like venom.
He did not speak.
He merely raised his hands.
And snapped his fingers.
No lightning fell. Instead, forgotten things awoke from beneath the earth—ancient seals, dead languages, the screams of destroyed cities. The sky darkened.
The serpent bared its fangs.
---
And the Commission Finally Understood
In the dark room, the screens went black one by one. The final report came in: All assassins had been eliminated.
On the last frame, there was a single image:
Izuku Midoriya, looking into the camera.
"The game has begun," a voice echoed one last time before the screens went completely dark.
"And this time... I will set the rules."
"Two Thrones, One Heart"
Saketo Forest – The Forgotten Shelter
The wind whistled through broken windowpanes, mingling with a low moan that rose from the walls of the shack. This was a place forgotten by time—childhood memories hidden in the cracks of its stone walls. When Izuku carried Katsuki here, he felt the shadows of the past descend upon them. Small footprints were still visible on the dusty floor, burn marks on the doorknob, paint stains on the wall… All were silent witnesses to a life once lived here.
Katsuki's body lay on the old bed he'd been placed on like a pale statue. The wounds left by the Commission's assassins formed dark rivers on his skin. Izuku tore his own shirt to make bandages. His hands weren't shaking, but he held his breath to contain the storm raging inside him.
As he lit the fire, his vision darkened for a moment. The tip of the knife he heated in the hearth glowed red. His lips moved slightly:
"We're too late to call this love, aren't we, Kacchan?"
The knife seared the wound with a hiss as it touched flesh. Katsuki moaned unconsciously but didn't wake. Only his lips moved:
"Don't go… don't leave again, Deku… don't leave me alone…"
The knife fell from Izuku's hand. His palms pressed against his face. And finally – the tears he had suppressed for years streamed down his cheeks. For the first time… he was truly crying.
"You were the only thing that made me a hero," he whispered. "But I couldn't protect you. This world stole you from me… and that day, I lost everything."
Katsuki's fingers twitched slightly. As if he could hear. But the dream pulled him back into darkness.
---
Katsuki's Dream – "The Chamber of Thrones"
An endless void… Beneath a starless sky, two thrones stood.
One, a throne of darkness carved from scorched black stone, cracks running down its back. The other, a throne of hope, adorned with emerald green and trimmed with blood red.
Izuku stood before the thrones. The serpent coiled on his cloak seemed alive. But his eyes… were still the eyes of that childhood friend.
"One of these thrones is yours, Katsuki," he said in a soft voice. "But only you can know which one you will choose."
Katsuki stared at him.
"I don't want a throne," he snarled. "I want you."
A bitter smile appeared on Izuku's lips. He reached out his hand. The moment their fingers touched, the symbols on the floor ignited – an infinity knot, a serpent, an explosion.
"We're too late for this love… perhaps it never even began," said the dream Izuku. "But now… the game is being rewritten. And you are still the only king in my heart."
Then he whispered:
"There are two thrones. One for victory. The other for hope. The price of victory will be the loss of love. The price of hope… is the hatred of the entire world."
"The choice is yours, Kacchan."
Katsuki was about to say "I can't choose"— when the world shattered. The thrones turned to dust. And he woke up.
---
Reality – The Shack
Izuku was sitting with his head in his hands where he had been bandaging the wounds. When Katsuki opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was his broken posture.
Katsuki silently reached out. He grasped Izuku's wrist.
Izuku flinched. But then he didn't resist. He knelt beside Katsuki. Their faces were so close their breaths mingled.
"I'm still here," Katsuki whispered in a weak voice. "And you're still my hero."
Izuku averted his eyes.
"I'm not a hero anymore," he said in a low voice. "I'm… a monster, Kacchan. Something that bites, poisons, gets lost in the night."
Katsuki curled his lips. Then, he pressed his forehead against Izuku's.
"I loved you when you were that sunny child," he murmured. "But now… I love you with your darkness, your serpent, your rejection of the throne."
Izuku couldn't answer.
He just rested his head on Katsuki's shoulder. And that night, for the first time, they both slept together.
Wounded. Exhausted. But not defeated.
One heart against the world. A serpent. An explosion. And a love that will never be divided.
Chapter 56: Crown of Emerald, Throne of Ash & The Choice of Kings
Summary:
"Tell me..." His breath trembled, the knot in his throat tightening. "Why? Why do you always sacrifice yourself? Why do you always leave me behind?"
Every light lost within the darkness is fated to be reborn."
🫀💥🐍🍷🪽
Chapter Text
"Closed Doors and the Lost Explosion"
Saketo Hill – The Awakening Mystery
The first light of dawn bathed Saketo Hill in a false brightness, as the sun filtering through the crystal walls of the glass garden shimmered like thousands of tiny fireflies. Each one seemed to carry a secret as it fell to the ground.
Shoto folded and unfolded the parchment in his hand for the third time. La Brava's encrypted notes and the complex diagrams drawn by Gentle Criminal danced before his eyes. The ink blot he had accidentally dropped on the edge of the map resembled a snake figure. This must be the sign, he thought.
"The Zero Point can only be opened by 'the echo behind the noise'." "And a heart that doesn't explode can never reach it."
Momo crouched next to Shoto, drawing a series of symbols in the soil with her fingertips. "This isn't a maze," she said softly. "It's a summons. It's looking for Katsuki."
Uraraka's eyes were fixed on the knife mark on the ground. That gash left by Toga wasn't just a wound; it felt like a confession. "What are we after here?" she thought. "A treasure, or a graveyard?"
Denki interjected, snapping his fingers: "If Katsuki is needed to open the door, then why is Izuku's name involved in this too?"
Shoto's eyes focused on the star symbol in the circle he had drawn. "Because it's a dilemma," he whispered. "A throne cannot be sat on alone."
---
Katsuki – Between Dreams and Reality
The inside of the hut was filled with a denser unease than the silence outside. Izuku's breath rose and fell in a steady rhythm on Katsuki's shoulder. But Katsuki was awake.
The rusty key he took from his pocket felt like a cold weight in his palm. The photo tucked behind it was a memory from that day – a time when they were both smiling, when everything was still simple.
The writing on the back of the photo was almost worn away by fingerprints:
"Two thrones are needed to open the Zero Point."
Katsuki's eyes shifted to the crack on the hut wall. It resembled the coil of a snake. "The snake's fangs…" he murmured. "You were always one step ahead, Deku."
He slowly stood up. Without waking Izuku, he left a note in his pocket:
"I'm leaving. But this time, I'll be waiting for you."
---
The Glass Garden – The Wait
The stone platform in the center of the garden, with its intricate carvings, resembled a riddle. As Shoto ran his palm over the carvings, he suddenly stopped. "There's something here," he said. "A trigger."
Momo leaned over the stone. "Two marks have been left," she noticed. "One is an explosion mark… the other is the slither of a snake."
Just then, a sparrow falling from the sky landed on Shoto's shoulder. The piece of paper it dropped from its beak danced in the wind before falling to the ground.
On it, a single sentence was written in Izuku's handwriting:
"When the snake shows its fangs, the doors lock. But the true key is in the lost explosion."
Denki turned the paper over. On the back was a small drawing: Two thrones. One surrounded by flames, the other by snakes.
"This isn't a choice," said Uraraka, her voice trembling. "It's a merging."
---
The Final Riddle
As the sun stood directly overhead, two silhouettes appeared before the door of the Glass Garden, casting their shadows on the stones. Katsuki stood there, a wound still bleeding on his right arm, the rusty key in his left hand. Behind him, Izuku waited silently, the snake embroidery visible beneath his cloak.
Shoto stepped forward, counting his steps. "What is needed to open the door?"
Katsuki raised the key into the air. "An explosion," he said.
Izuku fixed his eyes on the carving on the door. "And a snake's bite."
They moved at the same time. As the explosion from Katsuki's palm illuminated the symbol on the door, the snake embroidery on Izuku's cloak merged with the mark on the stone.
And the door creaked open.
The light rising from within illuminated all their faces.
"Welcome," said a voice from inside. "To the Zero Point."
Some doors only open with two keys: one is the regret of the past, the other is the hope of the future. But the real secret is being able to turn them both at the same time
"Zero Point: The Door of Fate" On the Threshold of Light and Shadow
In that first moment the door opened, time seemed to freeze. The light filtering from the crystal chandelier turned the dust motes falling in the center of the room into gold. As the ice crystals in Shoto's left hand danced with the flame in his right, the expression on his face was one for the history books—that deep, serene resolve of a hero heading into their final battle.
Momo's fingers trembled on the edges of the documents. "This isn't just a door," she whispered, "it's a confrontation." In the eyes of Uraraka beside her, one could read the shadow of the knife mark Toga had left. She had clenched her hands tightly; her nails dug into her palms.
*: Blood and Ink
The blood seeping from Katsuki's wound created a strange rhythm as it dripped onto the stone floor. Each drop fell onto the carved snake figure on the ground and disappeared. When Izuku traced these blood trails with the hem of his cloak, he noticed: The snake's eyes were looking directly at the door's lock.
"Look," Denki called out, pointing at the fresco on the wall. "There are two kings here. One crowned with snakes, the other with flames."
As La Brava's camera recorded this scene, Gentle Criminal added with unusual seriousness: "History is about to repeat itself, dear viewers. But this time, we will write the final act."
Directly opposite the door, there were two throne figures carved into the wall. As Shoto ran his finger over the first one, he suddenly pulled his hand back. "It's as if it's alive," he murmured. "As if... someone is sitting on it."
Izuku handed Katsuki an old medallion he took from under his cloak. It had a snake motif surrounded by 11 stars. "I kept this hidden," he said. "Everything the Commission tried to make us forget is here."
In the center of the room, a dome with complex writings rose from the platform. Momo approached carefully: "This is some kind of mechanism. But to activate it..."
"Two things are needed," Katsuki finished, raising the key into the air. "An explosion." Then he looked into Izuku's eyes: "And a sacrifice."
Uraraka's breath caught. "Sacrifice? What do you mean?"
Gentle Criminal, with rare seriousness: "Every lock opens not only with the right key," he said, "but with the right price."
Izuku placed the dagger he took from under his cloak into the groove in the center of the platform. "The Commission always thought we were rivals," he said. "But the real enemy..."
"Was fear itself," Katsuki finished, turning the key. As the mechanism activated, the entire room began to tremble. The frescoes on the walls seemed to come alive—snakes coiled, flames danced.
Shoto suddenly shouted: "Get back! This is a..."
When the explosion happened, everything was engulfed in white light.
When the light faded and the dust cloud dispersed, a brand new symbol had appeared in the center of the room: an intertwined snake and explosion figure, surrounded by eleven stars. As La Brava's camera recorded this image, Gentle Criminal uttered the words that would go down in history:
"Today, we closed not just a door, but an era. And we opened the first page of a new world."
As Katsuki threw his bleeding arm over Izuku's shoulder, the snake motif on the cloak shimmered. "We've waited long enough," he said. "Now it's their turn."
In the last beam of light falling into the room, the shadows of the 11 silhouettes merged to form a single power. History began to be written at that moment.
As the dust cloud in the room slowly dispersed, the silhouette appearing on the doorstep surprised everyone. Dabi's blue eyes glinted with the emerald green light reflected from Izuku's cloak.
"You're late," Dabi whispered, hiding the burn marks on his left arm beneath his cloak. "The Commission's soldiers will be here in five minutes."
Shoto's breath caught. "Touya-nii... You..."
Dabi touched his brother's shoulder with a pained smile. "I was always on your side, little brother. Just... fighting on a different front."
Izuku held out a rusty medallion to Dabi from under his cloak. It had 11 stars and a coiled snake.
"We've been preparing for this moment for ten years," Izuku said, the green light in his eyes growing brighter.
Dabi clenched the medallion in his palm. "When the Commission gave me the role of 'The Traitor Dabi'," he explained, "Izuku offered me a greater role: to be a real hero."
Momo suddenly began shuffling through the documents. "The plan has changed! According to the intel Touya brought, the Commission—"
"Is trying to trap us here," Katsuki finished, standing up despite his injured leg. "But there's something they don't know."
Touya pulled a small data chip from his pocket. "All of the Commission President's secrets are here. For years, I've been gathering this intel on Izuku's instructions."
La Brava quickly plugged the chip into her computer. The images that appeared on the screen shocked them all:
· Commission members planning Katsuki's fake death
· The true meaning of the snake symbol on Izuku's cloak
· And... who the 11 stars really were
Gentle Criminal's voice trembled: "So... so we are all..."
"Yes," Izuku confirmed. "You were all children kidnapped by the Commission. Your real families—"
"ARE US," Katsuki roared.
The walls suddenly began to shake. Touya sounded the alarm: "They're coming!"
But Izuku remained calm. He took off his cloak and spread it on the floor. The emerald snake embroidery seemed to come alive on the ground.
"The choice is yours," he said to the 11 stars. "Either take your true identity with this cloak and continue the fight... Or remain slaves of the Commission."
Shoto took the first step. He placed his hand on the cloak. "We hide no longer."
One by one, they all took the same oath...
As they exited the door of the Zero Point, the sun was rising exactly on the horizon. Izuku let his cloak fly in the wind. The fabric flew, coiling in the sky like a snake.
Katsuki knelt beside Izuku. "Now what?"
The green light in Izuku's eyes shone as if it could illuminate the entire city:
"Now... the story of the true heroes begins."
Some snakes are not poisonous. Others evolve to overthrow kings. The story of the Eleven Stars is just beginning...
In the depths of the Zero Point, the lights were dim, and silence reigned between the cold stone walls. In the center of the room, a pale green glow rose as Izuku stood alone, lost in deep thought. Behind him, the silhouettes of the 11 stars stood a step back like shadows, watching without breathing.
Suddenly, the door opened slowly. The Fallen Hero appeared within the shadow; his steps were silent, each filled with riddles echoing on the floor. He approached Izuku, his eyes holding the secret of the past and the future.
Fallen Hero (in a low, sharp voice): “Beyond thrones,the black serpent coils around the past. The fire sleeping beneath the ashes… when will it awaken? A storm born from zero… But, in which direction will it rage, who knows?”
Izuku lifted his head slightly, looking at him with eyes burning in the dark: “And does the burning fire forget its old wounds?Does the echo of the lost explosion reign here, or the shadow of silence?”
Fallen Hero slowly shook his head, opening his fan: “Silence is sometimes the deepest scream.They say ‘two thrones, one kingdom’. But… who truly holds the throne? The one hiding in the throne's shadow? Or the one who shatters it?”
Izuku put his hands in his pockets, pulled out the old medallion; the浮雕 of the 11 stars and the coiled snake gleamed in the light: “Does time erase the serpent's trail?Every turn is a new riddle. Who solves it? Who understands? Perhaps only the heart's power…”
Fallen Hero took a step, the room's atmosphere grew heavy: “The heart is powerful,yet fragile. But all power demands a price. The secret hidden in the Commission's shadow, how long will it last? They call it ‘sacrifice’. Well, the price of this sacrifice… what does it become?”
Izuku took a deep breath, his eyes turned to the star: “When a snake bares its fang,the doors lock. But the key is hidden within the explosion. ‘True identity’ is born between fire and shadow.”
Fallen Hero smiled faintly, whispering one last question as he closed his fan: “And now…who will win? Shadow or fire? Or a new light within the darkness?”
Izuku replied, his voice firm and cold: “The riddles never end.But we will rule our own game. Because now… the Zero Point is ours.”
The Fallen Hero turned away silently, disappearing into the shadows, saying, “Prepare yourselves… the game begins.”
Ten stars nodded silently. All but one could no longer endure this situation, this walk into the unknown. Katsuki could no longer hold back. The anger, longing, and hurt he had carried for years had built up; the storm inside him was about to erupt. He quickened his pace, running to Izuku's side. At that moment, time grew heavy.
Katsuki grabbed Izuku firmly by the collar. His fingers dug deep creases into the cloak's fabric as he shoved him against the wall. The hardness of the wall amplified the suffocating pain rising in his chest. His eyes were wet; but what spilled from his lips wasn't just anger—it was the pain of years.
Katsuki's eyes were locked on Izuku's face. Breathless, his fingers gripped the cloak's collar tightly. The storm that had grown within him for years was now ready to break.
"You know, Deku..." he began, his voice cracking, weary and wounded. "For years, every night, I searched for you… I couldn't hold you in my palms. You slipped through my fingers. You went so far away that I couldn't even hear your voice anymore. My heart beat a thousand times to catch you, but you always got away. Every time I looked back... But you... you never turned around!"
Katsuki's breath hitched into sobs. He pressed his fists against the wall, his fingers digging in to the bone. "How many times did I think, 'Maybe you left me... maybe you never loved me...' But it's a lie! That heart, that mad heart only wanted you. I didn't believe it, I still don't believe it! And yet, I was left alone!"
Tears streamed down his face as he spoke. "I waited for you for years. At the foot of that grave... For years I cried, stayed silent, fought... but nothing changed. I lost what I had. I lost myself. For you... in your absence..."
Katsuki's voice caught in his throat. "And now... now we're here again. At the Zero Point... You... you're still lying to me. Tell me, why? Why did you always pull away from me? Why did you always leave a secret behind you? I'm sick of it, Deku. I want the truth. The truth... and even when I was with you, I was always alone."
Izuku listened silently. The light in his eyes shone with weariness, guilt, and a deep sadness. His lips moved slightly, whispering a thin riddle:
"The darkest moment of the storm comes just before the dawn. The strong one conquers not the storm, but their own heart."
Katsuki was shaken by the weight of these words. Trapped between crying and raging, his vision blurred.
"I fought as hard as your storm, Deku. But I could never conquer you. You were always one step ahead of me."
Another tear traced its way down his cheek. "Don't leave me behind. I'm begging you now... Don't lose yourself. Because I... I never stopped loving you. And these lies... these secrets... they're killing us."
Izuku slowly approached Katsuki. He placed his hands over Katsuki's, letting him feel his warmth. "Kacchan," he said, "Every light lost within the darkness is fated to be reborn."
Katsuki swallowed. Yet the tears falling from his eyes were the purest expression of the brokenness in their hearts. In that moment, the painful dance of loss and refusing to stop loving echoed silently between their two hearts.
In the Cold Darkness of the Zero Point: The Silent Reckoning of Years
The air between the titanium walls cracked with Katsuki's words. As the emergency lights cast flickering blue shadows across the room, the emerald snake motif on Izuku's cloak seemed to come alive, forming the technological web surrounding them. Katsuki's fingers gripped Izuku's collar just as they had in the UA garden years ago—but this time, there was no anger, no childish challenge; only the pain of a heart that had been broken, abandoned time and again.
"Eight years..." Katsuki snarled, his voice echoing off the cold metal walls. "For eight years, I had the same nightmare every night. You, in that cloak, slipping away from me. Getting further and further away... And I could only watch."
The screens on the wall flickered with a warning from the Commission: [OPERATION: PHOENIX ACTIVE]. But Katsuki's gaze was frozen on the fresh scars on Izuku's face.
"Tell me..." His breath trembled, the knot in his throat tightening. "Why? Why do you always sacrifice yourself? Why do you always leave me behind?"
The green light in Izuku's eyes flickered in a different hue. As lines of horizontal code scrolled through his pupils, he gently held onto the collar Katsuki was gripping so tightly.
"Kacchan..." Izuku said, "The day I lost you... I never left."
A neon green light seeped from under his left eyelid, shining like a dominant secret on his face. "I just changed. In the Commission's dark laboratories... With what they did to me…"
Right at that moment, all the screens in the room cracked, and the Zero Point's central computer flooded with a screaming alert:
[WARNING: QUIRK DATA SYNCHRONIZATION AT 98% - PROCEED? Y/N]
[UPLOAD COMPLETE: HERO ANALYSIS PROTOCOL v.9]
Katsuki’s eyes widened. Izuku’s cloak suddenly came to life, rising from his shoulders and weaving a holographic net across the ceiling. Thousands of data points, years of secret intelligence reports, the Commission’s darkest secrets—all of them danced there.
“These are...” Katsuki stammered.
“Yes,” Izuku said, his voice now filled entirely with digital echoes. “For eight years, I gathered everything. While you thought you had lost me, I was watching your every step. Every victory, every defeat... every night you cried yourself to sleep...”
Katsuki fell to his knees, his trembling hands reaching for Izuku’s face. “So... those dreams...”
“Yes,” Izuku whispered, his serpent-tattooed hand gently caressing Katsuki’s cheek. “Every night, I spoke to you. But when you were awake, you couldn’t remember.”
Explosions rumbled outside. The Commission’s intervention squads were closing in. Izuku pulled Katsuki closer, pressing his forehead against his.
“Now it’s time to choose, Kacchan. Stay with me and release this data to the world... or walk out that door and never see me again.”
Tears streamed from Katsuki’s eyes, slipping between the fingers of Izuku’s scarred, tattooed hand. “Never...” he growled. “Don’t you ever expect me to make a choice like that.”
Izuku’s lips curved into that same childhood smile. “Then let’s do it together.”
As the cloak spread wide, Zero Point’s entire system linked to them. The final message echoed across the walls:
[THE ALL-SEEING EYES ARE NOW AWAKE]
Chapter 57: Broken Thread of Fate
Summary:
“There are two thrones, Kacchan.” “One for victory…the other for hope.” “The price of victory is the loss of love.” “The price of hope is...the hatred of the entire world.”
At that moment, Katsuki fell to his knees. His back trembled.His palms pressed flat against the floor. And only one word came from his lips:
“Which one did you choose?” "Tell me,just once, that I never left you behind."
You didn't give me a choice, Deku… You forced me to lose you."
"This love did not save us. It drowned us. It burned us."
This… was a farewell.....
Notes:
Yes, it's been a long time, sorry! I've been really busy lately—I'm studying for an exam and also going to training. But here I am, dear readers!
I've come to you with an amazing chapter.
1. Did Izuku truly not give Katsuki a choice? Or does he believe that this cruel "either/or" ultimatum is the only way to truly set him free?
2. Is the phrase "we do not belong to each other" a final goodbye, or a different, more painful definition of belonging?
3. Are we reading a story of impossible love, or a story of heroism that will make the impossible possible?The most important question: Do you think Katsuki can use the final legacy Izuku left him(the glow of the red thread) to find a way to save them both? Or is this the beginning of the story's tragic end?
The choice is yours, dear readers! The answer is hidden between the lines... ❤️🔥
Chapter Text
From the Darkness of Ground Zero to the Throne Room
The moments spent behind the cold titanium walls of Ground Zero were now in the past. In that moment when the white lights went out, replaced by a heavy and silent quiet, Katsuki was still walking within the shockwaves of the explosion from a few hours prior. He was tired, silent, his thoughts buried deep within. With every step, he carried the weight of the broken pieces inside him. He walked beside Izuku, but it was as if he was lost in his own world.
The 11 Stars rose among them, silent and orderly. Their eyes held an expression where fatigue, fear, and determination danced simultaneously. They all knew how dangerous and uncertain this path was. They were all waiting to see what the future held hidden in the darkness.
---
In the Shadow of the Throne Room
The massive doors creaked open. Inside the throne room, the heavy touches of wood and stone, defying time, carried the cold grandeur of the old world. The cloak behind Izuku's throne was spread on the floor; its emerald green snake embroidery seemed to coil slightly as if gaining a life of its own.
Izuku took a deep breath and turned to the 11 Stars:
“This is where everything begins. The true face of the Commission, all the secrets hidden in the darkness... And our choice.”
A question rose from within the crowd, in a shaky but determined voice: “Izuku,we uncovered all this, but now... what do we do? How will the fate of this war be written?”
Another added: “We have the truth in our hands.But that truth is as heavy as the world. How will we bear this burden?”
Izuku answered with a shadow on his face: “Answers are hidden in riddles.With every step, with every choice, a new knot must be untied. But know this... the greatest secret is hidden in the darkest corners.”
Katsuki's Inner War
Katsuki, however, was silent. In those moments, the pain of the explosion he had experienced a few hours ago had not yet subsided. Both his body and soul were tired. His eyes seemed lost somewhere in the depths of the room. He was weary of everything, exhausted from years of being behind Izuku, of always being in the background.
A Silhouette Among the Shadows
And the door opened again. This time, the one who stepped inside was a secret pawn of the old Commission, a name forgotten years ago, lost among the shadows. His eyes were cold, his expression calculated. The Commission's emblem was still faintly visible on him, but his walk no longer carried the steps of a slave, but of a free chess player.
Looking into Izuku's eyes, he whispered in a low voice: “You haven't forgotten me,have you, master? I... am the forgotten pawn of your game.”
Izuku studied him carefully. His eyes held the weight of years, a deep meaning. “You... An old secret hiding in the shadows of Ground Zero.”
As silence fell over the room, Izuku and his old allies began to speak not with words, but with riddles and ciphers:
“The doors behind the shadows open, but only in the right order,” said the old pawn. “And the flow of time is only seen correctly in a broken mirror.”
Izuku responded: “The world does not change until the knot is untied.But every knot gives birth to a new prophecy.”
Another Star whispered: “Eleven lights,one darkness... If thrones fall, which throne wins?”
Izuku, with a hint of sadness: “Victory comes after a lost love.But we still don't know who the loser is.”
Katsuki couldn't take it and broke his silence. With anger and desperation:
“Enough!” he shouted. “For years, I've been drowning in lies and secrets! I was always left behind you! I was always being abandoned! Tell me the truth? Don't hide it anymore! Don't hide anything from me anymore!”
Tears streamed from his eyes. He was pouring out all the pain and longing he had accumulated over the years.
Izuku responded with a bitter smile on his lips and a slightly trembling riddle: “Sometimes,even after the darkest night, a new dawn comes… But remember, Kacchan, the dawn sometimes rises from the darkest enemy.”
Katsuki shuddered, the fire in his eyes dimmed a little, but the storm in his heart did not subside.
The Game of Fate in the Throne Room
In the throne room of Ground Zero, Izuku leaned gently against his throne. The echoes of Katsuki's outburst were still felt in the heart of the room; but in Izuku's eyes, there was not fatigue, but a slightly mischievous glint. This was now the stage for the game that would change everything.
The heavy doors slowly opened, and a man with long white hair and ice-blue eyes appeared: Touya. He held an old parchment in his hand. With silent steps, he approached Shoto.
As Shoto watched in astonishment, Touya held out the parchment in his hand and murmured like a riddle:
"The hero of a bygone era, secrets left in his shadow... The darkness written with Endeavor's fire, Is unraveled in the light of truth, The Commission's mask falls one by one."
The document detailed the dark deeds Endeavor had done for the Commission, inscribed with dark symbols. Shoto read the document carefully; he discovered the truths hidden between the lines.
Before the astonishment could fade, the door opened once more. This time, Himiko Toga emerged, her ash-blonde half-bun disheveled, her gaze sharp. She walked silently towards Uraraka and extended an old page, stained red, with words scratched into it by a knife.
Uraraka hesitantly took the document. A riddle was written on it:
"Blood and life, the price of a comrade, Echoes in a silently weeping city, As the Commission's strings are severed, Which step remains the deepest?"
There was a sadness in Toga's eyes, but it was as if she carried a secret from within herself.
As the atmosphere in the room grew even more tense, the door opened for the third time. A man with slightly gleaming white hair, his identity unclear, appeared. He silently approached Katsuki; in his hand was an old, worn document and a complex riddle.
"This is the key to the missing piece," he said, his tone cold but meaningful.
Katsuki took the document, his face growing serious. He read the riddle aloud:
"A whisper lost in the darkness, It is the pain of a revolution, The Commission's last breath, Is reborn in the shadows."
Katsuki folded the document and put it in his pocket. The old anger in his eyes flared for a moment.
The door opened for the last time. This time, Hawks entered with cool and determined steps. His target was directly Kirishima. He had another document in his hand.
Kirishima took the documents and addressed the remaining 9 Stars in the room: "This is the complement to the finalization plan.The Commission's ultimate weakness."
The document contained a complete map of all the Commission's secrets and the information needed to strike the final blow.
Izuku, sitting on his throne, watched this entire scene with great delight. There was fatigue in his eyes, but that mysterious light still glimmering within him, like a child at play, had not yet gone out.
As the heroes' astonishment grew while looking at the documents, Izuku took a deep breath and whispered:
"This game is just beginning... The Eleven Stars have gathered,but the secrets are still not complete. The final piece hidden in the darkness, Will determine the fate of the future. Remember,every riddle is not an answer, And every answer is the beginning of a new riddle."
He paused for a moment. His eyes gleamed slightly and he added: "Victory is only possible in the dance of light and shadow. Be ready…for Ground Zero will not close again."
The titanium walls had no sound, but they had weight. Just like everyone in that room. The dance of the dust had stopped;breaths were drawn in but not dared to be let out. The 11 heroes who had passed through the heart of Ground Zero and reached the throne room were now on the brink of a decision.
Izuku, sitting right at the center of the throne, had one hand on his chin, the other resting loosely on the side of his knee. His cloak had spilled over the steps of the throne,its emerald green embroidery snaking like a serpent across the stone floor. But he was motionless.His eyes were fixed on the unseen darkness of the ceiling—or on the shadow of the past.
Before him, four documents lay on the floor. The file Touya presented,smelling of burnt paper. The page Toga had scratched with red blood. The text where Shigaraki had fallen silent,but lines of century-old decay flowed within it. And the documents Hawks brought—the ones that completed the final piece of the Commission.
The heroes were silent. Shoto held the page in his hands with his fingertips,his eyes stuck on his father's signature. Uraraka had bitten her lip,her eyes searching for meaning in the red writing. Kirishima and Denki looked at each other but couldn't utter a single word. And Katsuki…he was standing. But how?
He was holding on only to the silence.
Finally, Izuku lowered his gaze. He leaned over the arm of the throne. His tone was neither hard nor soft;it was like an echo trapped inside a dead dream:
“They wanted to overshadow me.” “I turned towards the sun.”
The 11 stars turned to him.
“They left you behind me, too.” “But now...now is the time for a decision.”
He stood up. He descended from the throne very slowly. His steps were silent, but each footstep seemed to crack a century-old wall. He came to the front of the throne.His eyes turned first to Shoto.
“Your father bargained with his own son at the negotiating table.” “But you are still alive.With that document, you will see his true face.”
Then he turned to Uraraka.
“Toga wrote it in blood because no language felt safe to her. But she chose you.”
Then he looked at Katsuki.
A second of silence. Time cracked.
Katsuki took a step. His shoulders were tense.His eyes were bright but not angry—tired. First,he walked. Then he stopped. And then…his fist trembled.
“Enough.”
It wasn't a voice. It was a knife.
“Enough, Deku.”
He approached slowly. The 11 stars held their breath.
“I kept looking for you. Everywhere. Every moment. But you…” “You were always ahead.You left me behind and went away.”
“While my knees were bleeding, you were making plans. While I cried at your grave at night, you were writing code!”
Katsuki reached for Izuku's collar. He didn't grab it; he buried himself in it.
“How many more times do I have to tell you?” “This isn't a game to me!” “I just...loved you while you were alive, Deku!”
Izuku, with his back against the throne's marble wall, did not look away. Only a bitter smile appeared on his lips.
And he whispered.
“There are two thrones, Kacchan.” “One for victory…the other for hope.” “The price of victory is the loss of love.” “The price of hope is...the hatred of the entire world.”
At that moment, Katsuki fell to his knees. His back trembled.His palms pressed flat against the floor. And only one word came from his lips:
“Which one did you choose?” "Tell me,just once, that I never left you behind."
Izuku was silent. His eyes seemed ancient enough to witness the end of an era now. He turned his gaze to the 11 stars.
“The answer… was in their hands from the very beginning.” “I was just the one…who paid the price.”
---
A King Alone on His Throne
Ground Zero – Throne Room, After Everyone Had Left
The room was quiet now. Even the creaking of the doors no longer echoed. The documents,the records, the prophecies, and the tears… They had all left the room and scattered.
Only two people remained: The hero of a bygone era. And the child left behind him.
Izuku sat heavily on his throne. His cloak dragged on the floor. The snake symbol on his shoulders was once a symbol of hope; now it was just a weight.
Katsuki stood facing him. Still breathless. But this time,not to shout. He wanted to be heard in the silence now.
The walls around the throne shimmered with dim light. Izuku spoke without raising his head:
"I was never a hero, Kacchan. I was just a plan. A number. A shadow of the snake…"
He drew a symbol in the air with his hand. Symbols appeared,spinning and scattering like butterflies: numbers, sigils, coordinates from the past…
"My plan was to be completed when I died. But… I didn't die. That's a problem.Because a living plan… either becomes a god or a monster."
Katsuki clenched his fingers into a fist. “Izuku…why are you doing this to me?”
For the first time, Izuku raised his gaze. But there was no light in his eyes. There was only the void of a tired child,a genius who had lost everything.
"Because the time to choose has come. Two thrones. One for victory. The other for hope. The price of victory is love, The price of hope is the world."
---
Prophecy: The Last Whisper
Izuku stood up. His body was trembling,but his voice was clear. It was as if he was reading an ancient prophecy:
"If two stars collide, the sky darkens. Only one snake remains. If love holds the snake,the world falls. If the world holds the snake,love dies."
As he finished speaking, an old watch he was holding fell to the floor. Its glass was cracked. Even time itself seemed weary.
Izuku walked towards Katsuki. For the first time…he truly approached.
"I never left you behind, Kacchan. I knew you were strong enough to leave me. Because…I was born to let go. You were born to hold on."
He stopped right in front of him. He placed his hands on Katsuki's.
"This time, the choice is yours. Either you will sit on the throne and save the people. Or you will save me and leave the world in darkness. But you cannot do both." Izuku’s words still hung in the room. It was as if even the walls were afraid to absorb those sentences.
And then... he fell silent. Izuku sat on his throne. He closed his eyes. He had given up on the world.
But one person... was still holding onto that world. Trembling. Bleeding.
Katsuki. Katsuki took a step. Another step. With each step,his breath grew heavier, his fingers clenched, his throat burned.
Finally, he arrived before that so-called sacred throne. Izuku still hadn't opened his eyes.
"Prophecy, huh..." Katsuki's voice was dry. "...two thrones…love… hope… world…"
He swallowed.
Then he gripped the arm of the throne with his palm. The throne's cold metal bit into his skin. He spoke with a silence as cold as that iron:
"You knew everything. You played.You planned. You manipulated everyone. Even me."
His eyes were bloodshot. It wasn't anger in his voice,but the scream of betrayal.
"But there's one thing you could never understand, Deku. I didn't believe in your lies, I believed in you."
Izuku opened his eyes. But this time…he couldn't look away.
Because Katsuki’s palms were buried in the collar of his cloak. In an instant,he pulled him from the throne, not enough to slam him into the wall— But enough to bring him close enough to silence his words.
"You are not my God! You can't force me to choose! You wrote this game…but I will write this final act!" "I loved you!"he shouted. "But you…you turned even love into a strategy!"
The rage that consumed his entire body finally turned into tears. He leaned over Izuku's face. He whispered like a trembling child:
"I just wanted to hold you… But you always looked behind you. You always walked one step ahead. You never stayed in my hands. Never.
When Izuku felt the hand holding him against the wall tremble, something appeared in his eyes: A fragile glimmer. But it didn't hurt. Because it was beyond even pain.
And in that moment, Izuku whispered something. A prophecy,but it sounded like a farewell prayer:
"If the snake's eyes see the flame, In the end,both are blinded. But one...still smiles while burning.*"
Katsuki recoiled. He lowered his hand. His face took on an expression—one no one had ever seen on him,even in battle.
"You didn't give me a choice, Deku… You forced me to lose you."
A single tear trickled from Izuku's eyes.
But he said nothing. Because words had no meaning anymore.
The throne room was plunged into silence again. Two thrones. One still empty. The other...filled only with shadows.
Katsuki turned his back. But for a moment,he couldn't fully turn away. Because...he knew if he turned his back, he would never be able to look again.
As Katsuki tried to turn his back, tears streaming down his face, Izuku slowly straightened up from his place. As his steps echoed against the wall,Katsuki's shoulders trembled. But this time,Katsuki did not speak. No words could repair that devastation now.
Izuku stood behind him. One step away. That childhood distance they once walked together. Izuku's voice was soft,but like a sharp knife.
"Kacchan. Do you know when we lost it?" "The day we looked into that pond together. When you started walking ahead of me."
"But I... I could never catch up to you."
"And the years passed. Every time,I either fell behind... Or I had to leave you behind."
Katsuki's fists trembled. His eyes welled up,but he still didn't utter a single word. Because if he spoke,he would break.
Izuku continued.
"I loved you, Kacchan. I loved you like the end of the world. Like my own end.
But here we are. And I don't just want to die with you anymore. I have to change the world,too. And us."
"And while doing that... I know I will destroy you. So..."
His voice trembled, for the first time. There was a knot in his throat,an ache in his heart. But he continued:
"So I'm... letting you go." His voice...was this clear for the first time. And for the first time,it was this irrevocable.
"Kacchan..." "One day…maybe in another world... Maybe with another name,another face... We'll walk the same streets again. But in this story... ...we do not belong to each other."
Katsuki's eyes filled with tears. But he was still silent. He just bit his lip,his lower lip bleeding. Because in that moment…everything inside him was collapsing. But still,he did not speak. Because everything inside him was screaming:
“Don’t go.”
Izuku continued. His voice was almost a whisper now:
"This love did not save us. It drowned us. It burned us."
"And I loved you... ...despite everything."
Izuku, in that moment, bowed his head. Without looking back at Katsuki,he whispered one more sentence:
"For everything... I'm sorry."
Just like years ago, under the wreckage of their childhood, when Katsuki had said to him.
At that moment… In the darkness,something unseen stirred. An invisible bond… A red thread of fate. Wrapping around two hearts,invisible yet tangible. It glowed silently. A red thread. That ancient symbol of fate.
It connected the two of them from their fingertips. As if a silent promise they had made to each other as children still stood between them. “One day,we will be heroes.”
Izuku took a step. And the thread tightened. It trembled. It stretched.
And... it snapped.
With a vibration, with the silence of a falling star…
Katsuki swallowed. The tear that slipped from his eye fell to the ground without touching his body. He was now,without him.
Izuku walked away. He walked without turning back towards his throne,without looking back at what he had left behind. But inside him,the sound of that thread breaking still echoed.
"Some threads are tied by the gods... But if one of the gods unties the knot with his own hands... Only one is left to burn."
As Izuku walked away, beside Katsuki's collapsed body on the ground, a red glow rose from the palm of his hand. But this was not a hope.
This… was a farewell.
(Previous comment deleted.)
Kacchankaboom on Chapter 1 Wed 02 Jul 2025 04:17PM UTC
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