The world narrowed to the clash of fists, explosions, and a roar of fury.
Izuku moved like a force of nature—green lightning crackling around him as he threw everything he had at the clones. But the rage in his eyes wasn't just about winning—it was grief and desperation that made him reckless.
Bakugo's voice, rough and ragged, sliced through the battle:"You're not the only one trying to keep this damn mess together, Deku!"
Shoto staggered beside them, flames flickering, struggling to keep balance. Every move was agony, but he refused to fall.
I stayed at the edge, watching, heart torn between wanting to leap in and the cold knowledge that my secret had to stay buried.
Zane's voice cut sharp through my comm:"We push through this flank. I'll cover your six."
I nodded and surged forward, the shadows swallowing me as I struck. My fists moved faster than thought—blows breaking Nomu bones, heat vision burning through sinew and metal.
But then—
A sickening crack.
A scream from behind.
Izuku faltered—an explosion of pain in his leg.
Bakugo's eyes widened, fury mixing with shock. "Deku!"
Without thinking, I dashed toward him, heart pounding. The clones pressed in, deadly and relentless.
Suddenly—Zane's voice was frantic. "Anos, behind you!"
I spun just in time to block a spear fused with runes, the weapon shattering on my forearm.
Then, the ground beneath us shook.
A deep, guttural roar—like the earth itself was tearing apart.
From the smoke and ruin, a colossal figure emerged. Not a Nomu. Not quite human.
Something… else.
Its eyes glowed with cold fire, its breath like ice.
And it moved with terrifying purpose—toward us.
I barely had time to shout before it slammed into the battlefield.
The clone army faltered, the nightmare shaking with the arrival of this new terror.
But then—
It spoke.
With a voice that echoed like death itself.
"Anos… you were warned."
My blood ran cold.
The voice… the presence…
It wasn't just any enemy.
It was him.
Zane's smirk vanished. "This isn't over. Not by a long shot."
And just like that—the battlefield shifted.
The war had turned into a nightmare none of us could escape.