Iida, Midoriya, and Todoroki finally left the dark alley where they had faced Stain. The cold night air felt lighter now that they had dealt with the tense situation just moments before.
The Hero Killer was bound tightly, being dragged along the ground by Todoroki, who kept a hard and watchful gaze, ready to react to any suspicious movement. Even unconscious, Stain still seemed like a latent threat.
Beside them, Iida supported Midoriya's weight, helping him walk despite his injured leg, which left an uneven trail on the asphalt. The green-haired boy breathed heavily, his face pale but determined to keep going.
"Is it… hurting a lot?" Iida asked, concerned.
Midoriya nodded, letting out a small, tired laugh.
"It… it does. But it's nothing compared to when I break an arm or a leg…"
Iida couldn't help but offer a brief smile at his friend's attempt at levity. He continued walking… until he stopped abruptly.
The sudden movement immediately caught Midoriya and Todoroki's attention.
Iida stood motionless, his head lowered.
"I…" his voice faltered. "I'm sorry. For all of this. If I hadn't—"
Before he could continue with his apologies, the night behind them lit up.
An intense, unnatural light tore through the sky.
All three turned at the same time.
A blackish-green flash exploded in the distance, spreading across the sky like a distorted electrical web, resembling the chaotic pattern of a living, pulsating, almost conscious thunderbolt. The twisting light illuminated buildings, streets, and clouds, casting restless shadows across the entire city.
"What… is that?" Todoroki asked, astonished, his eyes reflecting the strange glow.
Iida frowned, confused.
"I… I'm not sure."
Midoriya, however, felt his stomach churn.
A shiver ran down his spine.
"That light…"
He had seen it before.
His mind was seized by a violent déjà vu — the USJ, his blurred vision amidst absolute chaos… and, for a brief moment back then, that same light exploding right before his eyes... even though he couldn't see it clearly.
But even then, he had already suspected someone was responsible for it.
Now, he was certain.
Because the same person was in this city.
Midoriya swallowed hard, his eyes still fixed on the illuminated sky, and murmured almost without realizing it:
"…Takeda."
----------------------------------------
On the other side of Hosu, Woman was violently hurled out of the mall, crashing through the roof like a living projectile before being launched into the city sky. The impact left a trail of debris and glass scattered in the air.
One second later, a violet streak cut through the sky.
Violet shot out from inside the mall, reaching Woman in mid-air. Before the Nomu could react, a barrage of successive blows began raining down on her—punches and kicks so fast they seemed to overlap, each impact driving them both further across the skies of Hosu.
The sequence ended when Violet spun her body in the air and landed a brutal kick, sending Woman crashing straight into the asphalt of a wide avenue.
BOOM.
The impact created a shallow crater, shattering the asphalt and sending up a cloud of dust.
Woman groaned in pain, her body embedded in the ground, her costume already torn in several places. She spat blood, her eyes wide with hatred and confusion.
"Who the hell is this bitch…?! She's way too strong!"
Violet descended slowly from the sky, floating with eerie calm. Woman tried to get up, and failed miserably.
Violet force fields closed around her hands and feet, holding her in the air like an insect in a spider's web—Woman was lifted toward Violet, her body writhing as she was dragged.
Violet drew closer, the violet glow enveloping her eyes and body making the air feel heavy and suffocating.
With a precise motion, Violet brought Woman closer, aligning the Nomu's hands and feet along a vertical axis.
"I didn't like," said Violet, her voice calm… and cold, "the way you spent the whole fight calling me a bitch."
She closed her fists, one over the other, and began a slow, deliberate motion—like someone wringing out a soaked cloth.
The force fields around Woman's hands and feet began to rotate in opposite directions.
The Nomu's body started to twist slowly, beyond any natural limit. The sharp sound of cracks echoed through the street—joints being forced, bones shifting, muscles pulled at impossible angles.
Woman screamed.
Violet's expression remained impassive.
"I know killing villains is off the table," she continued. "But that doesn't stop me from correcting certain… impurities in them."
She twisted her fists a little further.
"And you have plenty."
Woman's body contorted even more, her screams growing sharper, almost animal-like. Violet let out a low chuckle.
"I'm lucky you can regenerate. That'll let the lesson last much longer~"
She twisted again.
"This girl is insane…! She is not a hero, she is a complete psychopath…!"
Desperate, Woman tried to fight back, activating her quirk.
"50 tons…!"
Nothing.
Violet twisted a little more.
"60 tons…!"
Her body sank an inch… and stopped.
Another twist.
"80 tons!"
Another scream echoed through the empty street.
"It's no use," said Violet, tilting her head slightly. "You're not going anywhere."
"100 TONS!!"
She went straight to the weight limit of her quirk.
Woman managed to drop a little… but she was still suspended.
Violet pulled her back up and twisted her once more.
The scream that followed tore through the air, echoing between the buildings.
"There's still a lot wrong in there," concluded Violet. "And I'm not done squeezing yet."
On the street below, Tony watched it all, frozen, his hands trembling as he held onto a nearby pole. He brought one hand to his mouth, eyes wide.
"I…" he muttered, swallowing dryly, "I really need to be careful never to piss her off…"
He discreetly wiped a drop of sweat trickling from the corner of his forehead.
"…and maybe take her out for more meat, too."
----------------------------------------
On the roof of a building three blocks away from the street where Ryo was, Shigaraki watched the scene through binoculars, his teeth gritted in irritation. The image of the boy still standing, after all that, made something itch violently inside him.
"What the hell is happening?!" he snarled.
The image of Ryo was still clear in the lens. Standing. Alive. Victorious.
"How did he handle the Nomu…?" his voice dripped with hatred. "Sensei invested so much in it just to deal with this bastard!"
His fingers wrapped completely around the body of the binoculars. The metal began to decay under his destructive touch, crumbling slowly until Shigaraki, too angry to care, hurled what remained to the ground. The object shattered into a cloud of grey dust.
He brought his hands to his neck and began scratching frantically, his nails clawing at his own skin.
"Why…?" he muttered through his teeth. "Why is nothing going as it should…?"
The image of Ryo wouldn't leave his mind.
"Why does that cockroach keep crawling… even after all the beating he took?! Why?!"
His gaze dropped to the street three blocks away. Heroes were converging on the impact site, approaching rapidly. Among them, a specific figure made his pupils contract.
"Endeavor…" He spat the name, seeing the unmistakable flames.
Kurogiri materialized beside him, the purple mist wavering cautiously.
"Tomura," he said calmly, "I recommend we withdraw now. The situation is already out of control."
Shigaraki clicked his tongue, letting out a low string of curses.
"Tch… damn it…" He continued scratching his neck, aggravated. "This whole operation was an absolute failure…"
He started to turn towards Kurogiri—
SHIIIIIING!
The sharp sound of air being sliced captured his attention instantly.
A rock shot past at high speed, whizzing dangerously close to his hip before continuing onward. In mid-air, it began to emit an unusual, pulsing green glow.
"What the fu—"
BOOOOM!
The rock exploded in a violent green detonation, the shockwave tearing through the air and making the building tremble.
Down below, several heroes heard the blast. Some stopped, looking back in alarm.
"That came from the top of that building…" one of them commented.
Thirteen, being carried by two heroes, didn't want to slow down, her eyes focused ahead.
"Keep going!" she ordered. "The boy is the priority!"
Endeavor also heard the explosion. He stopped abruptly, turning his head to look back, glaring at the smoke rising from the top of a building a few blocks behind.
"Continue," he ordered, his voice firm. "I will check that out."
Without waiting for a response, he broke away from the group, flames beginning to gather on his back as he prepared to ascend.
On the other side of the ruined street, Ryo struggled to catch his breath after hurling the stone, his chest rising and falling unevenly.
"Bastard…" he rasped between gritted teeth. "You're not leaving here without your gift…"
His legs wobbled, and he stumbled forward, his entire body protesting. Every muscle felt too heavy, as if filled with lead, begging to give out. For a second, his vision darkened at the edges, but he clenched his jaw and forced his body to obey.
"Not yet…"
He couldn't fall now. He needed to confirm something first.
With great effort, Ryo turned and began walking out of the crater torn into the asphalt, his feet dragging through debris and smoke.
"I need to see if Anan is okay…" he murmured, more to himself than anyone. "I need—"
"Takeda!"
A voice like a direct tug on his chest.
He looked up, blinking, and saw a group of heroes running toward him. But everything else lost importance the next instant. His focus was sucked toward a single figure.
His mentor.
Anan was being carried in the arms of two heroes, her white suit stained with dust and soot, her helmet gone to reveal a pale, exhausted, and deeply worried face.
"Sensei…" the name escaped almost soundlessly.
Before the heroes could react, Anan freed herself from their support.
"Thirteen, wait! You're still injured!" one of them warned.
She ignored them completely.
She staggered from the wound on her leg, almost falling, but forced herself to keep going, her teary eyes locked on Ryo. When she finally reached him, she didn't hesitate. She wrapped her arms around him with a surprising strength for someone in her state.
"Never do that to me again!" she said between sobs, her voice breaking. "I… I was so worried…"
Ryo swallowed hard, his body stiff for a second before he tried to reciprocate.
"D-don't… cry…" he pleaded weakly. "I'm… okay... now…"
She pulled back just enough to cup his face in her hands, her fingers trembling slightly despite their gentleness. Her hazel eyes, with those profound rings resembling black holes, analyzed every detail of him—the scratches, the dried blood, the gaze that was too tired and empty for someone so young.
"What do you expect me to do when you're in this state?" she asked, her voice soft, laden with emotion. "Just look at you… You must have felt so much fear. Pain. And now you're completely exhausted."
Ryo couldn't respond.
Anan pulled him back to her, this time with an even firmer, more protective embrace.
"But it's okay now," she murmured near his ear. "You've done enough… You can rest now."
The world seemed to lose its weight.
Ryo let out a shaky sigh, his body finally yielding to the exhaustion he had been forcefully ignoring. The warmth of that embrace enveloped him completely.
"I feel… safe…"
His arms moved almost on their own, carefully wrapping around Anan's back as if afraid of hurting her. He nestled closer, first resting his forehead… then leaning his head on her shoulder.
"It's… cozy…"
The built-up tension began to drain away, muscle by muscle. His breathing slowed, the weight of his body supported by that firm, steady hug.
"It's peaceful, too…"
With his eyes almost closed, one final thought drifted through his mind, gentle as a distant whisper.
"All of this… it feels like the hugs Mom used to give me before bed…"
And, for the first time since this whole incident began, Ryo Tanaka finally allowed himself… to rest.
----------------------------------------
The sirens began to gradually overtake Hosu.
Police vehicles surrounded the ruined blocks, sealing off entire streets as more heroes arrived as reinforcements—touching down on rooftops, emerging from around corners, descending from tactical transport vehicles. Medical teams spread out quickly, evaluating injured civilians and heroes.
And then came the realization no one expected.
Despite the scene resembling a war zone—partially collapsed buildings, craters in the asphalt, shattered storefronts, and smoke still rising—there were no fatalities.
The miracle spread over the radios, confirmed sector by sector. Injuries, yes. Many. But everyone was alive. Successful rescues. People pulled out in time. Children found unharmed in shelters.
For a city that had almost been swallowed by chaos… it bordered on miraculous.
Anan remained seated on a stretcher nearby, wrapped in a thermal blanket, as doctors assessed her injuries. Even so, her eyes never left Ryo, who had been placed on another stretcher right beside her. He was unconscious now, breathing steadily, sensors attached to his chest and arms.
"We found no injuries. None. Despite all the blood and bruised appearance, there are no active wounds or internal damage."
The doctor let out a slow breath as he looked at the boy.
"No fractures, no lacerations… it's almost as if he regenerated or something like that… He only passed out from extreme exhaustion. Whatever he did, his body was pushed beyond what it should have endured."
Further ahead, in an area cordoned off by caution tape, the grim confirmation finally arrived.
Razor Beam was confirmed dead.
His wounds had been too deep, and the blood loss had been swift and irreversible. Even with delayed medical attention, nothing could have been done.
Some Black Hole heroes looked away. Others clenched their fists. There was no celebration—only the silent weight of a life that had ended there, consumed by the very path he chose.
Woman was captured by the police.
She was found unconscious, still restrained by Violet's force fields after an intense "morale lesson." Violet remained nearby, her expression calm, visibly tired but steady as the police placed handcuffs on Woman.
Woman was taken under heavy escort, still unconscious, while media cameras and drones tried to get closer before being pushed back by security.
High atop a nearby building, Endeavor stood watching from the partially destroyed terrace in silence, arms crossed, face stern. His eyes swept over the destruction… then over the ambulances… before briefly landing on where Ryo was being treated.
"Hmph…" he murmured lowly. "I have to learn more about that kid."
The flames around his shoulders slowly dissipated.
Hosu had survived the storm.
Marked. Wounded. Shaken.
But alive.
And at the center of it all, the kid who was supposed to be only on his internship… had held back the chaos with his own hands until the very last moment, without any pause.
Like a true hero.