Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters mentioned here.
This story was made with the sole purpose of entertainment and is not intended to be taken seriously in any social, political or religious context under any circumstances.
As such, the actions and/or viewpoints expressed by the characters in this story do not automatically reflect the opinions of the author.
This purely fictional tale is not meant to neither educate nor serve as any kind of moral example to follow by whomever consumes this type of content willingly.
"My Hero Academia" and its characters created by Kōhei Horikoshi.
"Superman" and its characters belong to "DC Comics".
My Hero Academia: Heroes Fall
III
All Nightmare Long
Upon the earthy soil woven with aged roots, threads of golden light seeped through the boughs in brilliant and shadowy beams.
Against a pale, cerulean sky, the sun sank behind the dense foliage above.
Birds called from their nests, singing a melodious choir while a fresh, arboreal wind flowed steadily amidst the verdant flora.
On days such as this, Kyoka would go for a tranquil walk around the woodland.
She would enjoy the clean air, admire the scenery and, of course, look for inspiration to craft an experimental riff, write poetic lyrics or simply hum a catchy beat during her stroll.
But not today, not after they discovered that… thing…
Holding little Katsuma in her arms, she sprinted across the dirt trail. The sound of her boots grinding on the land, along her own erratic breathing, drowned out the symphony of the forest.
She was nearing her limit, exhaustion threatening to take her following the prolonged, uninterrupted race from as far as the ancient ruins.
Her arms, her legs burned, her head felt light, and her vision began to blur until the surrounding shrubbery resembled an abstract painting.
At this moment, when inhaling became painful, she came to an abrupt standstill.
"J-Jiro, are you alright?" Uraraka spun, also pausing her run.
"Yeah, I'm-… I'm good," Kyoka replied between noisy wheezes, putting Katsuma on the ground. "I just need to… catch my breath…"
They all fell silent, unlike the woodland that continued its natural orchestra of whistling zephyr, chirping mammals and creaking branches.
A brief instant they genuinely appreciated, fleeting peace to heal their bodies and soothe their ailing minds.
"It's… It's been a while since you called the others…" Uraraka unexpectedly spoke.
Panting, Kyoka glanced to her, cocking an eyebrow, but she said nothing…
Maybe because of the tiredness, or perhaps a simple lack of words. Regardless, she just allowed the realization to quietly settle.
"Um…" a timid call from below interrupted her thoughts, followed by a gentle tugging on the sleeve of her jacket.
Looking down, Katsuma's big puppy eyes gazed back at her.
"I-Is Deku going to be okay?" he asked.
Kyoka's lips flattened into a straight line.
Being honest, she had the same question, since she got to personally witness the tremendous power of that villain.
More than once, Izuku had proven himself capable of amazing feats. Yet, she couldn't ignore the feeling that this monster was on a whole different level…
However, letting her hesitation surface would cause further distress in the poor kid.
So, mimicking her boyfriend's unbridled enthusiasm, she slightly bent her knees and placed her hands on them to level with Katsuma, forcing a wide smile.
'Alright, let's see if I actually learned something from Izuku…'
"Yeah! Deku will be fine," she stated, hoping that she sounded convincing enough for the child and herself. "Don't worry about him, he will think of something. He always does…"
In response, Katsuma gave a single nod, remaining speechless, his melancholic sight fixed over his sandals.
'Well, that was awkward…'
Kyoka straightened her posture again. Judging by his apathetic reaction, she wondered if the kid really saw through her façade that easily.
She didn't blame him, though. The entire morning has been a rollercoaster of emotions and close calls.
For now, Katsuma was safe under their care. Nothing else mattered to her.
"So um… Yeah! Don't worry about it!" she exclaimed awkwardly. "I'm sure Deku is on his way here with your sist-"
She stopped mid-sentence, dropping the act altogether. Her eyes narrowing when the faint rustle of leaves reached her from afar.
Resembling a compass, her earphone jacks pointed to the source, guiding her towards the woods anew.
"What is it?" Uraraka questioned.
"Someone's coming this way, through the bushes."
"You think it's that villain?"
"Not sure, but don't let your guard down. Katsuma, stay behind me." Kyoka gently pushed Katsuma back. "Uraraka, you ready?"
With a pronounced frown, Uraraka nodded, speaking no words.
As the seconds passed, whatever creature stalked them kept approaching, the rustling grew louder, and the fluttering bushes grew increasingly closer…
Shortly later, it appeared…
From amidst the greenery emerged… a deer…
A deer of fawn-colored fur made its presence known. It was a large specimen, probably an adult, standing still but confident before them. Its antlers, broad and intricate, sprouted in all directions, similar to the roots of the forest itself.
"I-It's just a deer…" Uraraka huffed, loosening her stiff stance.
"Thank God…" Kyoka let out a long sigh of relief.
Then, she looked at Katsuma beneath her. Shivering, the kid had his face buried in her jacket, tightly clinging to her like a newborn to his mother.
Kyoka smiled lightly, for the image elicited genuine concern from her.
'How cute…'
"It's okay. It's just a deer," she moved her hand above the child's head, and affectionately ruffled his hair, to which he replied with a puzzled, yet hopeful expression. "Stupid deer… Alright, I think my second wind is kicking in. Let's-"
Suddenly, a hazy, voluminous mass pierced through the dense treetops, dropping upon the unsuspecting deer.
The abrupt occurrence took the group by surprise, earning a collective yelp on their part.
There was dust, a gray mist arising from the impact, concealing the origin of the commotion.
Deep down, Kyoka wished that behind the smokescreen lied Izuku delivering good news and Katsuma's lost sister.
She couldn't have been more wrong…
Soon, the area cleared, thus a virescent figure became visible.
The wide, hulking silhouette of the emerald goliath stood tall ahead. The harbinger of doom whose strength tore open a mountain and rivaled earthquakes.
'Dammit, I knew it!'
Initially the villain didn't notice them, being too busy subduing his latest catch.
Firmly pressed against the ground, the deer wailed, writhed, even kicked its legs to somehow escape.
Nonetheless, the monster, having the advantage of size and muscle, mercilessly stepped on its ribcage, keeping the helpless animal in place.
Following that, he grabbed the deer's antlers and, with a sharp pull, snapped its neck, ensuing a noisy, albeit brief crack.
Katsuma shrieked at the scene, staring mouth agape when the deer froze completely…
Subsequently, Kyoka covered his eyes and brought him closer, trying, in vain, to comfort him.
The goliath released the carcass, seemingly losing all interest.
"I guess it's up to us now…" Uraraka clenched her fists.
"Not looking forward to it," Kyoka added. "Especially now that his restraints are gone."
But then, a frightening realization struck her…
'Wait… If he's here, then that means…'
Her eyes widened, and her scowl softened.
"I-Izuku…"
Horrific pictures twisted her mind. The outcome that she oh so dreaded had come to pass.
"You…" Kyoka gritted her teeth, boundless anger clouding her judgement, alongside flashes of Izuku's uplifting smile.
The villain calmly spun, facing the young heroines.
"Uraraka, get Katsuma out of here!" Kyoka shouted. "I'll hold him off!"
"Let's go, Katsuma!" Uraraka beckoned the child who, without questioning, rushed to her side. After that, they headed for the woods.
Unfortunately, the goliath averted his attention and started stomping towards them, snarling loudly.
"No, you don't!" Kyoka swiftly crouched, putting on her headset. Her earphone jacks stretched, plugging themselves into her stereo boots.
Later, from her amplifiers came forth a cyclonic shockwave that engulfed the whole dirt road, shaking the nearby shrubbery.
Trapped amidst the warping vortex, the villain instantly stopped his advance. Grumbling in pain, he retraced a few steps, pressing his enormous palms to both sides of his head.
'Nice, my amplifiers still work,' she thought, smirking, continuing her assault on the monster. 'But why the hell are the others taking so lo- Eh?'
Despite being subdued by the deafening soundwave, the goliath lowered one hand, gripping the antlers of the murdered deer below him.
And with a quick swing, he mightily threw the dead body against her, becoming a fast-flying blur coming her way.
"Whoah-!" yelping, Kyoka ceased her attack and clumsily rolled sidewise over the land.
A strong gust of wind accompanied the volant corpse as it went past her, vanishing among the trees at the background.
"F-Freaking psycho!" she exclaimed while on her knees, feeling slightly disoriented. 'Just how hard did he throw it!?'
Unexpectedly, succeeding her troubled dodge, the soil beneath her trembled once, twice, thrice in just a matter of seconds.
She immediately lifted her gaze, spotting the villain hastily approaching. His fist high in the air, ready to strike.
"Oh shi-!" instinctively, Kyoka leaped backwards, barely avoiding the plummeting punch.
The ground shattered under the monster's inconceivable might. Clouds of powder scattered across the vicinity when she was torn off the Earth.
A howling breeze enveloped her, waving her clothes. A dulling knot appeared in her stomach upon noticing that the goliath's bulky form surprisingly got smaller, farer…
It didn't take long for her to realize, as she stared into a vast prairie shaped by the forest below. As she floated at the same height as the seagulls sailing the skies of the island.
Although, her flight wasn't meant to last, and soon she began losing altitude…
"Oh no, no!"
Cold sweat formed on Kyoka's forehead.
During her final moments airborne, she unwittingly turned around, perceiving the soil getting rapidly nearer with every breath she drew.
Survival instinct fueled her next actions. She crossed her arms in front of her face, squeezing her eyes shut and tensing her body, praying that her bones could withstand the upcoming crash landing.
'This is going to hurt!'
Yet, there was no pain. Miraculously, she never hit the floor…
Because she felt herself being carried away, the world surrounding her became a kaleidoscope of verdant, blurry smudges.
Then, just as fast, she came to a sudden standstill, and she was gently placed on fresh grass. Tall pines and motley shrubs wholly seized the field, amber beams of sunlight cascaded over the woodland through the upper vegetation.
"Wha-… What the hell?" Kyoka blinked dumbfounded, slowing her erratic respiration, wondering if she had accidentally traveled to another dimension.
"Jiro! Are you injured!?"
Awakening from her trance, she glanced at her right, encountering a literal knight in shining armor. Quickly, everything made sense.
"I-Iida?"
"Apologies for not arriving sooner!" he spoke hurriedly, offering her his open hand.
"Dude, don't apologize," Kyoka wrapped her palm around Iida's, and let herself be assisted to rise. "You just saved me a stay at the hospital. So, what kept you? You were missing the party."
"Don't worry, Jiro. We're here now, stronger together."
Sensing a light touch on her shoulder, she spun, finding Ojiro behind her, giving her a reassuring smile.
Beyond him, Uraraka stood beside little Katsuma. They joined the group shortly after.
Kyoka's lips faintly curled upwards, a small ember of hope brightening her spirit. Now that the cavalry had arrived, it was time to turn the tide.
It was time, indeed…
As the soil brusquely quaked, and thunderous creaks of wood reverberated throughout the acres. The students turned their sights forward, focusing on the distant trees tilting, falling without opposing much resistance.
"Looks like the party has come to us instead…" Ojiro commented, assuming a fighting position.
Thusly, tumbling down entire pines in his wake, the emerald goliath made his grandiose entrance, injecting fear within their souls with only a spine-chilling glare.
"Stay where you are, villain!" Iida yelled. "Identify yourself, what is your objective!?"
Standing immobile before them, the villain simply emitted a low, rumbling growl.
"Don't bother, Iida," Kyoka said. "That freak doesn't talk too much. I don't think he's very smart."
"Damn… What else do you know about him, Jiro?"
"Well, he punches hard," she shuddered, recalling her windborne voyage of earlier. "Like, really hard. And he's not holding back."
"I see. Uraraka, keep that kid safe! We'll distract him so you can-"
Roaring sharply, the monster lashed out towards them, charging like an enraged bull.
"Ojiro! Two-front offensive, now!"
Iida leaped forth, a cerulean spark on his calves carrying his ascension. He stretched his leg, and with aid from his igniting engines, delivered a high roundhouse kick.
Ojiro also jumped, quickly spinning in the air while extending his tail outwards, gathering momentum to increase his impact force.
Both of them aimed for the goliath's head, both of them struck a mighty blow at unison. A strident din followed their combined attack.
Nevertheless, the villain didn't recede, or even flinch. He just remained rooted to the spot, completely unfazed…
"No way…"
And straight away, he captured the young heroes, each in one arm.
"No!"
Afterwards, he smashed them together with a swift, powerful motion, instantly rendering them unconscious. First, the monster threw Iida further into the woods, his dormant body breaking through the robust trunks as if he was a wrecking ball.
Then, he tossed Ojiro overhead, his comatose silhouette disappearing amongst the treetops above.
Thereupon, the goliath pivoted, slightly squatted, and leapt skyward, giving chase to the knocked-out teens.
"Goddammit! Uraraka, follow him!" Kyoka ordered, getting tired of watching their own demise unfold. "I'll catch up with you in a minute!"
Without saying anything, Uraraka briskly parted from her side, fading amid the bushes on the front.
Meanwhile, Kyoka diverted her focus to little Katsuma, kneeling so she could level with him.
"Hey, Katsuma," she placed her palms on his shoulders. "You okay? How are you feeling?"
"You-… Your face… You're hurt…" the child stammered, grimacing.
"What?" Kyoka furrowed her brows.
Retrieving her hand, she ran her fingertips across her cheek which felt unusually warm. Wincing, hissing a bit, she found her digits soaked in crimson.
"Huh? Weird…" she mumbled, downplaying the situation to keep the kid calm. "Didn't even feel it until now."
"You're bleeding…" Katsuma whispered, his lower lip quivering. "My sister, Deku… Everyone is hurt because we helped that villain escape… I'm-I'm sorry. I-… We didn't mean to hurt anybody…"
When he finished that sentence, he shut his eyelids, and began weeping unrestrained.
"Hey, hey, don't cry," concerned, Kyoka brought him closer, hugging him tightly. "This is not your fault, no one blames you for any of this. Everything's gonna' be fine, I promise…"
She patted his back softly, maintaining silence while he wailed. Izuku definitely had this comforting thing better nailed than her, but she would not give up.
It was her duty to reassure the restless during times of great hardship. A hero's duty…
"H-Hey, you like games, right?" Kyoka withdrew from the embrace, feigning enthusiasm again. "Let's play a game, 'hide and seek'! I'll go somewhere else while you look for the best hideout you can find, okay?"
Wiping his tears, Katsuma nodded faintly.
"Katsuma, listen to me," growing more serious, Kyoka cupped her hands around Katsuma's face, and made him look at her in the eye. "Do not, for any reason, come out unless me or one of the other heroes calls you. Understood?"
"O-Okay…"
"A-Alright, then," she smiled, sighing relieved. "You're a good boy, Katsuma. I'm sure you'll-"
Out of the blue, a scream sounded…
Unfiltered pain rang in her ears, telling of urgency, of desperate need, from a voice she immediately recognized…
"Uraraka!" rapidly swiveling, she rose, turning her back on Katsuma. "I'll be back soon, stay out of sight!"
And she stormed off, heading for the trail outside the forest.
Kyoka wondered what was to come, what was to be when she encountered that monster. Leaving Katsuma alone would become either the best or the worst decision she's taken in her life.
Still, she ran along the path of destruction, pushing herself to the max.
'Keep running, Kyoka! Don't stop! Don't you dare stop now!'
Slanted logs, stomped shrubs and grass grinded to a pulp beneath her feet. Eventually, everything gave way for a clearer view, the dirt road where they met the unshackled monster.
Halting her advance, she desperately glanced at her surroundings, panting. Initially, lofty pines and thick bushes occupied her vision.
'No sign of Iida or Ojiro. How far did he throw them?'
However, her sight soon discovered a horrifying scene…
At the edge of the trail, the emerald goliath stood unwavering. From his grasp, a fainted Uraraka dangled by her mop of short, brown hair. Her costume worn and soiled, several cuts tracing the rips in the fabric. What has this monster done to her?
'No…'
Reading her mind, Kyoka's jacks lengthened, reaching for her boots. Without thinking it twice, she crouched, gazing onwards to aim her soundwave.
A blink later, Uraraka's inert being swiftly came crashing against her, knocking her down with a noisy 'plonk', and the hardest blow she's ever received…
'So fast… I didn't even see him move…'
"Ugh… Ouch…" landing supine on the ground, Kyoka stared loosely into the cloudless firmament, the sunbeams mercilessly burning her pupils. "This will hurt tomorrow morning…"
Which were suddenly darkened, as a broad shadow entered her visual field…
"NGHAH-!" before she could even process the situation, a massive hand fell upon her, enveloping her throat.
Effortlessly, the monster picked her up using a single arm, his scarlet goggles mirroring her expression.
"L-Let… go…" Kyoka clamped her palms on the villain's brawny digits encompassing her neck, forcibly trying to pry them open.
Alas, the goliath's grip remained fixed, unmoving, getting increasingly tighter…
She frantically kicked her legs, writhing her whole body to worm her way out of the suffocating grip.
'Can't breathe… Can't even… think… This freak is really powerful… We never had a chance to fight back…'
Breathing wasn't possible anymore, she began feeling dizzy.
'N-No… I can't go down like this…'
In her last moments of lucidity, Kyoka contemplated doe-eyed as the monster slowly lifted his free hand, closing it into a fist…
That is, until an abrupt jolt shook her, and the goliath stumbled, releasing her.
Dropping to her knees, she suffered a coughing fit when inhaling deeply. But she could finally breathe, definitely an improvement.
Shaking her head to readjust her dulled senses, Kyoka looked up.
Freezing chills suddenly traversed her spine, for the image she found was as frightening as it was bewildering…
Stomping aimlessly along the road, the villain furiously squirmed, spinning over his own axis.
Amidst the chaotic display, she spotted a pair of white-robed arms surrounding the monster's neck, and a familiar face peeking from behind.
"O-Ojiro!?" Kyoka exclaimed astonished, quickly rising.
"Run, Jiro! I'll stop him!" he shouted, clinging to his stranglehold while the villain kept writhing. "I'll-"
Cutting him off short, the goliath caught him…
Resembling the unsheathing of a sword, he mightily pulled Ojiro by his tail, swinging him in the air.
"Ojiro!" Kyoka lunged, cursing her sluggishness.
Because the villain brusquely slammed him against the soil…
After the ground-breaking impact, a brief, albeit loud crackle echoed. A liquid spurt, like stepping on a bug.
Were they always this feeble? She wasn't sure.
She was only certain about the wide splash of blood soaking her clothes and tainting the vicinity. It carried a rancid smell, with pink, fleshy bits stuck to her jacket, sliding from her cheeks.
Realizing what just happened, Kyoka sucked in a sharp, shaky breath. Her eyes peeled, and she started hyperventilating.
Regardless, she couldn't move. She didn't want to move.
She simply gazed forward, where the emerald goliath, coated in gleaming vermillion, held Ojiro's motionless corpse as if he was a fishing catch.
Small streams of aqueous scarlet dripped from his fingertips. His pristine robe painted red…
Glaring at him with seeming disdain, the monster grunted lowly and waved his arm, launching Ojiro into the wind.
Mouth agape, Kyoka watched powerless while the remains of her classmate went above the treetops, vanishing in the distance.
And that was the last time she saw Mashirao Ojiro…
"O-… Ojiro… No…"
Such strength. Such ferocity…
She gulped, tensing, shivering at the thought of what this… thing could do to her.
All of a sudden, a violent tremor made the land underneath her tremble.
Gasping, Kyoka spun, confronting the villain, who calmly advanced one step towards her.
On cue, she retraced one herself. He took another, and anew, she did the opposite.
"S-Stop… Stay away!"
Every fiber of her being screamed in terror. A primordial voice within her that whispered, and said, and yelled.
'Run. RUN. RUN!'
But fear itself crippled her, anchoring her to the spot.
'He's not playing around… He's really out for blood! Our blood!'
Then, she heard it…. 'Thum'
No… more of a… 'Boom'
Despite having the enraged berserker in front of her, Kyoka dared to glance at her side, merely for a single second.
Among the remote foliage, an amber glow flickered repeatedly. Each flash growing brighter, louder, nearer…
'E-Explosions?' she pondered, staring at the faraway spectacle of zig-zagging lights. 'Could it be-?'
With an actual 'bang', an infamous figure emerged like a rocket from the bushes, propelled by furious blasts.
Alighting between her and the unsuspecting villain, Bakugo stood defiant, extending his arms forth.
"Die!"
From his palms, a brilliant flame spurt onwards. Later, an incandescent flare engulfed the forest, and a blaring rumble wobbled the adjacent trees.
The explosion swallowed the goliath's towering form, also forcing Kyoka to place her hand before her eyes, protecting them from the blinding glare.
And the raging breeze rapidly halted into stillness. The burst-born fire dimmed, extinguishing, leaving behind a broad pillar of dark fume ascending to the heavens.
Much for their surprise, tranquility had settled upon the woods…
Blinking, Kyoka steadily lowered her palm.
When her vision got used to the current scenario, Bakugo's silhouette greeted her, his back turned on her while he looked at the thick smokescreen ahead.
"What? That's it!?" he spoke, breathing heavily. "Raccoon eyes made it sound like it was the end of the world. I expected more…"
Yet, she ignored his words.
Since the simple fact of having survived the encounter relieved Kyoka greatly. Though she could feel it in her aching bones, something wasn't right…
'Too easy… That was way too easy… Maybe fire was his weakness? Did Bakugo actually-'
"Hey, cable ears! You okay?" Bakugo asked, now facing her.
She tensed, frowning. What kind of question is that?
"Do-Do I look okay to you, Bakugo?" Kyoka replied, muttering, attempting her very best to conceal her indignation.
Bakugo didn't answer.
His signature scowl just became a mildly-annoyed grimace as he quietly inspected her.
"Tch! Then what the hell happened here!?"
'Is he blind or just stupid?'
"Look around you," she gestured at the surroundings, purposefully pointing to the cracks on the soil, the broken trunks, and the blood drenching her garments. "Take a wild, fucking guess…"
Unexpectedly, Kyoka's legs buckled, quivering, almost giving in. That sentence somehow having drained plenty of her energies.
But she kept her balance, only allowing her sight to fall during the exchange.
"Hey!"
Barely heeding the call, she lifted her gaze again.
"Quit your bitching and get moving! There's still work to do."
'Bi-Bitching?… Bitching!?'
She must have misheard him, right? Even he can't be this fucking dense…
"Do you have any idea of what we've just been through?…" Kyoka's eyelid began twitching, adrenaline surging inside her.
"I don't give a damn!" Bakugo snarled, returning to his usual, short-tempered self. "You want to be a hero too, right? Then start acting like one! Or you're just gonna' sit there and wait for things to unfuck themselves!?"
Speechless. She was speechless…
She clenched her fists until her knuckles paled, biting her tongue to suppress the anger building up in her gut.
"The only thing more disappointing than that 'villain' is you and the other extras who couldn't even handle him! But that's what you get for hanging out with useless Deku… I'll tell you one more thing-"
She let him talk. She would absolutely make him pay once he stopped spouting what for her had become background noise.
Because something else captured her attention…
Kyoka's wrath instantly cooled down when she looked past Bakugo, focusing on the grey clouds behind him.
Her eyes slowly widened, the small hairs on her nape bristled in sheer dread after a grotesque shadow manifested amidst the ashen vapor.
"Behind you, Bakugo!"
"Eh?" startled, Bakugo spun briskly. A million particles of light, then flame, swirled around his fingers.
Notwithstanding, by that point, there was nothing left to be done…
For a pair of massive, malformed arms pierced through the fog, hastily trapping Bakugo in a back-breaking embrace.
She heard a crunch.
Kyoka is sure she heard a crunch as the shadow yanked him into the fume where both disappeared.
Not without a scream, a primal howl of suffering which would forever echo in her memories…
"No!"
Unflinchingly, she leaped forward, ready to fight that monster alone if necessary.
'I knew it! That was too easy! I should've known, what the hell is wrong with me!? Why the fu-'
Abruptly, another explosion blared within the smoke, unleashing a fiery maelstrom and a powerful shockwave that knocked her off her feet.
The sun feels warm. Good.
No… Not the sun. Heat from the blast.
"Wha-What the hell?…" mumbling, she shook her head, gradually alleviating the profound disorientation plaguing her.
'Warmth… Fire… Explosion… Bakugo… No!'
As soon as her senses adjusted, she centered her focus on the dazzling conflagration frontwards. The unfettered fire illuminated the scorched ground, sending billows of black smoke into the sky.
"Ba-Bakugo!?" she shouted at the flames, her voice low and raspy.
The blaze creaked softly while it gnawed on the grass. The air around her started feeling warmer, tasting like carbon burning her throat.
No response…
"Bakugo!?"
This time, she received an answer. Alas, it wasn't what she had expected, much less wanted…
The firestorm split open, revealing a charred, misshapen silhouette…
Thanks to the final effort of Katsuki Bakugo, the goliath's emerald shroud was lifted, exposing an unsightly beast…
Sharp, bony spikes, long and short, protruded from his muscular joints. Elbows, shoulders, knees, fingertips, even his bare teeth. Everything protected underneath a thousand thorns.
His skin silvery and grainy, as if his flesh was carved out of stone, with a long mane of ivory hair reaching his broad, fibrous shoulders.
But most of all, his eyes… Pupilless, blood-red, yearning for battle, hatred, death…
'This is bad. This is not happening. This is only a nightmare, it has to be!'
This is not a nightmare.
This is hell. And he is the devil…
Because a living, breathing nightmare approached her, hunted her down without mercy…
The monster stepped forth, and roared.
A fiendish, booming roar thundering throughout the entire forest, making Kyoka's skull throb, coercing her to cover her ears when she felt warmth trickling out of them.
Until an unforeseen blur, a tiny rock, struck the goliath, earning his undivided, murderous attentiveness.
Hearing a rattling sound nearby, Kyoka glanced to her left.
In a sudden turn of events she couldn't have ever imagined, little Katsuma emerged from the shrubs. Tears streaming down his cheeks while he placed himself between her and the berserker.
"Stop! I won't let you hurt her!"
"Ka-Katsuma…" Kyoka cautiously rose her hand towards the small kid defending her.
Fully aware of the predicament, she knew that any brusque movement would end poorly for them.
So she tried avoiding swift motions that could potentially enrage the monster.
Thus she stared silently, barely moving, waiting an opportunity to get Katsuma out of his reach.
"We don't want you here! Leave us alone!" the boy continued shouting at the villain who, surprisingly enough, just stood there, listening, glaring with tranquil anger.
"Katsuma, no…"
"And give my sister back!"
That was it…
The tipping point where the berserker released a furious snarl that was as brief as it was nerve-cracking.
"Katsuma!"
Dismissing the weariness in her body, Kyoka stretched her arms, wrapping them around Katsuma's waist, pulling him backwards after the grey juggernaut raised his foot above him…
And he stomped the ground with the might of a God, eliciting a tremendous earthquake spreading across the woods. Long fissures meandering over the land beneath.
But she saved him! She actually saved Katsuma before it was too late.
However, the raw power of the strike catapulted them both off the soil…
Kyoka found herself floating upside down, seconds elapsing at a slower rhythm, resembling hours.
In mid-air, she watched calmly the world around her. Hundreds of pebbles bouncing below her, dark fume clouding her view.
'Katsuma…'
Immediately, she realized about her grip on the child loosening, eventually escaping her…
They locked gazes. Katsuma's hopeful, albeit timid look meeting Kyoka's astonished, scared expression while she prayed that she could catch him again…
But he kept moving away, farer and farer from her, not even able to connect her fingertips with his…
The flight quickly concluded with her landing on her nape, her spine contracting painfully due to her own weight.
She rolled over the dirt a few additional meters prior to her being losing all momentum from the impact.
"Ugh…" Kyoka exhaled, frowning as consciousness returned to her.
Her head was spinning, her vision full of fuzzy lights.
She blinked to clear her blurry sight, hoping it could also re-arrange her thoughts in disarray.
Once the haziness vanished, she caught a glimpse of a blue spot lying only a couple of feet away…
'Ka-Katsuma…'
Sluggishly, Kyoka started crawling in direction to the eerily-familiar spot.
And there he was…
Upon reaching the slumbering boy, Kyoka folded her legs underneath her thighs, kneeling next to him.
"Katsuma… Katsuma!" she grabbed his shoulder, flipping him over.
His skin was unnaturally pale. His face, covered in dirt and bruises, had engraved a hopeless stare into the heavens. His mouth hanging slightly open. And his eyes, glassy, half-lidded, lacked a certain gleam of vigor, of life…
"Katsuma, are you okay? Can you hear me? I need you to wake up, we need to move… Katsuma?"
He didn't move. He didn't respond.
"Katsuma, please," Kyoka cupped the boy's cheeks and made him look at her, just like she had done earlier. "Don-Don't do this to me, please…"
Growing desperate, she inspected him again.
There wasn't a lot of blood on his clothes, beyond a couple of smudges that had turned brown already. His limbs, despite the numerous cuts, weren't broken, for she could see they weren't twisted in an uncomfortable way.
Yet, the kid simply did not react to any of her touches. He remained limp and loose, akin to a stringless puppet.
'Why is he not answering? Why is he so cold!?'
"Katsuma! Wake up! Please!"
But no matter how much she wanted to believe the opposite, Kyoka knew the inevitable outcome…
Katsuma Shimano lied dead on her lap. A blank expression capturing his final moment in this Earth for eternity…
Her mouth went dry, every noise of the forest attenuated into unintelligible echoes.
When the chilling realization dawned on her, she let go of him, gently placing his head back on the soil.
Her ribcage began feeling tight, her heart drumming against her ears.
'How could we let this happen? How could I lose him?'
Then, Kyoka hugged herself, slightly curling up as she started shuddering, all the while keeping her gaze fixed on the deceased child in front of her.
Till a mysterious grip tugged at her jacket, forcing her to turn.
Instantaneously, she became acquainted with someone who brought her some comfort in this maddening inferno…
Grabbing her biceps, Uraraka shook her strenuously.
She was telling her something, screaming, but she couldn't make any sense of her words, for her ears only received distorted whispers.
Kyoka wondered if she had become deaf out of the sudden.
The answer arrived soon, fortunately, in the form of Uraraka's palm colliding with her cheek, snapping her out of her trance.
"Jiro, please!" she cried, her tone shrill, panicked while she continued shaking her. "Snap out of it!"
"W-what?"
"We have to go! That monster is heading for the town!"
Kyoka remained silent, as if trying to find a hidden meaning in her sentence.
"The others…" she said softly after a bit.
"Iida is on his way there," Uraraka replied hastily. "He'll warn the others before the villain gets to the town. But we need to go now, they're gonna' need our help!"
Anew, Kyoka didn't speak. She closed her jaw so fast that her teeth clacked, and simply nodded fervently in agreement.
However, for a small, fleeting moment, she unconsciously gazed down upon the kid she failed to save.
The two girls looked with guilt at young Katsuma. Uraraka's hand ghosted over the child's face, shutting his eyelids so he could rest properly…
And she sobbed, loudly, subsequently covering her mouth with her palms, undoubtedly holding back the tears building up in the corners of her eyes.
Sorrow clutched Kyoka's heart.
She genuinely hated seeing her friend like this. A charming, innocent and supportive person facing the unfairness of a world they were failing to protect, despite their sacrifices.
She knew that helplessness, because she felt that same void in her gut.
Needless to say, even if they couldn't save Katsuma, there were others who still required saving.
Thusly, she lifted one leg from the ground, whimpering slightly as the pain flared, her whole body creaking. But she vowed to not fail anyone else ever again.
Thereby, she rose.
"Let's go, then…" she said, lending her hand to the weeping girl beneath.
Uraraka's sight lingered over Kyoka's open palm for an instant before she timidly took it, and Kyoka pulled her up until she stood on her own.
Without notice, Uraraka stormed off, heading for the path that would get them to the city.
Speedily, Kyoka started sprinting, following her lead.
She tried not to think about the fire they left behind. She tried not to think about Ojiro or Bakugo, because even if their deaths will haunt her for the rest of her life, more lives lied at risk if they didn't reach the town in time.
So onwards they went.
On days such as this, Kyoka would go for a tranquil walk around the woodland.
But not today, not after the wounds, the losses and the destruction.
The day when the harbinger of doom posed the ultimate trial…
T̶̻̦͊̽h̷̜̀̄a̴̮͎̋ņ̶̈́k̶̳͔̆̚ ̮̈ÿ̡̝ou̷̯̥͘͠ ̵̟͠sô̱͘ ̵͙̂̆m̷̳̪̿̌u̶̟̯͆ć͕̗͊ḫ̴͈͗̆ ̶̟͜͠f̴̗̐o̶̦͐͑ŕ̷̰ ̵̩͂́ṙ̴͍͂è̴͙̼a̶͈̾d̴̬̹͑̕ỉ͖̺͐ṇ̵̘̇͘ğ̶̘̗. ̵͎̾͊A̴͔̻̕p̴̱͋o̴͎͆̉logi̵̫͔̚e̶͎̰̓s̷̳͖͒ ̷̫̀̔f̷̦̠̽or̶̠̫͗͠ ̶̥̑̓tä̵̪k̴̢̖͆ȋ̵̧͇̇n̷̠͉̑g̵̺͈͐ ̶͈̜́̕th̴͎͚͗̄i̷̾ͅs ̷̦̊̈́l̵̺̳̀̑ò̵̠̞͘n̴̦̓̀g̵͇̈́ ̶̤́͝t̵̥̉͛o̵̫̥̔ ̵̬̂u̴͎̚ͅp̴̬̋da̶̟̅t̵̗̝͌̌e̵̗̮̾, ̵͕̍̃b̷̧̜̔ǜ̵̟̳t̴̫̋̒ ̵͎͖͌I̴̬̳̽͘ ̴͍̼͂̓h̵̜̽o̶͉͈̒p̵̞̠̊̇e̵̛̥̾ ̴͚̫̓̕ṭ̴̗̈h̵̬̹̃e ̵̭͊̍č̦̽ĥ̫a̴̛͇̩͝p̴̻̈t̷͓̳̀͘ȇ̴͜ř̴̥ ̷̖̆w̶͍̚͜â̴̦̥̓s wo̴̧̜̓͝r̶̼̊t̷̲͈̚h̶̤͋ ̷̺̇͛t̴̢̡̽̄h̴͖̏̔ẹ̷̀̕ ̧̫̉w̶̭̃̒ǎ̶̰̚i̵̤̓͆t.̷̻̱̑̍
̶̟̎͝Ǔ͕n̶͠͝ͅt̵̲̑ḭ̵̂l ̶̨͂ń̤͑e̴̼̪̒x̴͓͈̀͘t̵̞̀ ̳͉̀ṯ̵̒͜i̷̖̪͑̑m̷̘̦͋́e̶̜̼̋, ḙ̷̄͜x̴̯̀̕cẻ͉̲̉l̴̺̞̑ş̷͖̔͘ḭ̴̃̑o̶͓̚r̷̨̰͒!̷̩̆