Chapter 82 - Movie, Endless Night

"Fire Scourge!"

"Heh,"

Orange and purple flames collided, expanding in rings around the barren landscape, carving through stone and mud with a molten whiplash of rubble and embers. Viral slid backward, hands thrown forward for a hellish glare of Nightmare Rain, its purplish-red contrail dispersed before a single, blackthorn chain that sliced through his chest, rippling through the earth like a serpent.

"Ack, ah... hah...!" Viral tumbled across the cold, wet ground. His onyx skin camouflage against the rugged rock as he crawled to his feet again, dark grey vapor leaking from his wounds as he watched the bone and muscle rejoin around his right elbow to his forearm.

The skies were painted grey with thunderous roars coupled with pale lightning that struck the spires of mountains. He was cornered now, staring toward his attacker who drew another painful row of blades through its cobalt chain, the metal rattled and whipped its head like a serpent, taking Viral's left hand clean off the wrist, dispelling the seal.

"How did it come to this?" Viral muttered to himself, recoiling from another two chains that snapped from the rocks.

"You are so weak," Dull and withdrawn, their tone carried no joy or care for Viral's state, driving the Nightmare toward the edge of the proverbial cliff, though that cliff was very much real and close. "I could collect so many fragments but what would it matter? Your ability is useless,"

"Nightmare - grr!" His other, newly grown arm was cut clean off again, that same, serrated chain coiling and carving its way down his arm, locking it in place. "You really think you're Harbinger, you scumbag?!"

The Nightmare was gone, instead, that mask of tempered patience and rare kindness was drowned by a lofty scowl, and a pang of hunger for souls. "I am Harbinger, the real one - not some old man rotting over philosophy," He leaned in, pressing his tone while his three eyes narrowed, using more chains that surfaced from his spine like hands, curling their weight around Viral's weakened, shredded body. "What to do, what to do..."

As he contemplated his actions, Viral could see it, a shadow staring from afar, hunched and dripping with fright. "Velk... Velk!" She flinched as Viral desperate extended his bloodied arm toward her in panic. "Don't leave me like this!" Viral's eyes expanded with terror, growing and shrinking. "Don't Go!"

Harrow craned his neck with a curious sound. "Her? I thought she had fled, that's good..." His permanent smile stretched further. "I'll enjoy her soul later, and you?" He called his chains closer, bringing his elongated nails an inch from Viral's face. "I think I know what I can do to you, hehe,"

Velk shook her head, muttering something Viral couldn't make out, 'No', 'sorry', even his name, he couldn't tell, all he felt was what could be called his heart sinking and shrinking in a void as her body fled in the opposite direction, though she did turn her head to see what became of her only companion left to Harrow's fingertips.

"'An eye for an eye', right?" He dug his fingers through Viral's right socket, dragging his digits through the wet flesh to feel around his skull, dragging his nails across the insides of Viral's head like a screwdriver. All any could hear was his screams of agony, arms and legs failing to punch or kick his attacker away. Black liquid and scrambled viscera were torn from his face, the wound stretched and flaked. "Ooooh, that's gotta be painful - sorry, I think I misused the phrase, but you get the point, right?"

"VEEEELK!" Viral screamed in pain and rage, the frost-covered Nightmare vanishing without a trace. Whatever strength left in his outstretched arm fell like an anvil. Whatever happened next, Viral couldn't think or feel, if he were to die, it would be a mercy. "...why...?"

...

...

...

"Once upon a time, I dedicated my life to following someone who shone so brightly in my eyes. A corruption took that person away from me, but this time... I'll make sure my light continues to shine on forevermore. Even if I die..."


"Hey-" Viral withdrew himself from his memories, fingers rubbing the black eyepatch that covered his hideous scar. Before him, Kyoka waved a hand in his face. "-your heart picked up sharply there, nervous?"

"Why would I be nervous?" He countered with a huff, but by her eye-roll, she saw through his lie. "That quirk of yours is annoying,"

"So is having a lie detector inside my boyfriend but here we are," She shrugged jokingly.

Viral, for once, had taken on a human facade. It was a similar copy to Akio but with a taller figure and sharper features. He wore an all-black outfit with a purple vest-top underneath a jacket with his Nightmare insignia. His hair was charcoal and combed back to reveal his eyepatch. His ears were pierced with silver rings too.

"How's the new body?" Akio perked up behind Kyoka with a curious face. The Nightmare gave himself a once-over, arms raised outward slightly with a mixture of emotions.

"It's... bearable, I guess?" He said this as the two hummed, sliding forward with mirthful looks. "What?"

"Nothing," The couple chimed, spinning around as Akio clapped his hands.

"Everyone ready!?" At this, almost half of Class 1-A chimed in unison, dressed in casual winter-wear due to it being a little chilly despite the sunlight bathing the wintertime. "Welcome to the Solstice Market!"

Behind him was a short walk from the park to a walled-off festival for the holidays, with music and voices traveling over the walls with various sweet and mouthwatering scents. In the distance, a large skeleton of a rollercoaster was present, since the festival was surrounding a small theme park.

From the class, Yuki stood with her hand interlocked with Izuku's while the latter chatted with Shoto with Yuki squeezing in between the two curiously. Katsuki was discussing something with Kirishima, looking jaded toward Rayla who patted his head briefly, Ochaco chuckling nervously with Kirishima, the pair trying to coax the angry Bomberman to calm down.

"Oh, Akio, Yuki!" Behind a small red wall out of the class's view, Yaoyorozu waved a hand to the pair. "We should be ready now, but she's a little nervous," Her kindhearted smile told the story plainly. "Can you help?"

"On it, Yaomomo," Yuki saluted, holding an 'OK' sign up to Akio. "We'll be ready in a minute!"

"What's up? Is something happening?" Ochaco asked as Viral rolled his eyes off to the side, Kyoka smiling with Akio hopping in place giddily.

"Trust me, it'll be quite the surprise," She replied cryptically, drawing a few odd gazes from her classmates.

"You look beautiful! He'll love it!" Yuki chimed from behind the wall, stepping out with a reassuring gaze.

"She's right, you'll be fine!" Sero added with her, patting the bluette back. "Yuki's not one to lie, honest."

"Okay..." A timid voice perked up behind Yaoyorozu, the taller girl stepping aside, gushing at the sight that stunned the whole class. "...I've never had a human form before so..."

Standing between Yaoyorozu, and the distant friend from another school, Hana Yukino, was Velk. She, much like Viral, masked her true form behind a human figure. She retained her Nightmare's slim but elegant proportions, her hair reached her shoulder blade with a strange transition of onyx to white to ice-blue. Two anxious icy eyes staring at the stunned crowd.

Her clothing was a nice blue hoodie with a white blouse underneath, a red pencil skirt, black thigh-high socks, and white shoes, similar to what Hana was wearing, almost making them appear like sisters. The Nightmare bashfully looked up at Viral. "Thank you... for the spell,"

"..." He didn't say a word, staring directly at Velk before finding the ability to clear his throat. "...right, it's not as strong as a natural facade so you can't stray too far from your Host, especially given your condition,"

Velk smiled slightly, "I know, but it's been years since I could walk on my own, thank you, Viral," He nodded sharply, back toward the class as Yuki rolled her eyes.

"He's totally a tsundere," She gave a flat stare.

"Agreed," Hana and Yaomomo concurred.

|Most Likely|

"You know I can hear you?!" The old Nightmare growled, stomping toward the entrance without them.

"We should get going, it's already the afternoon," Izuku spoke up.

"No use lettin' the day slip away, let's move out, team!" Rayla declared, pointing straight at the Market.

"YEAH!"

As the groups formed with some staying with their pairs, Hana slowly kept pace with Sero, looking down at the ground with her typical downward 'V' expression. "...thank you..."

"Hm, what for?" Sero perked up, eyeing the ravenette playing with a ring on her middle finger.

"For inviting me, I... appreciate that, Velk does too," Hana quickly tact on, thankful Velk was chatting with the girls with the brightest smile in the world, blushing sheepishly as the girls fawned over her looks and outfit. "She was very nervous, I share that too, so when you, Yuki, and the others encouraged us, we felt less alienated, you are all very kind."

Sero didn't really have a proper response to that, scratching his head, so he grinned and patted her shoulder gingerly. "It's what friends are for, doesn't matter that we're from different schools,"

Hana blinked, nodding slowly with a tiny smile. "I suppose you're right," As she turned her eyes back to the road, she recoiled quickly upon stumbling in the way of another. "Oh, I apologize-"

Their hand rose, "It's okay, I have a tendency to daydream alot, it happens," The ravenette woman gave the pair a pleasant smile, opening her eyes for a sleepy gaze that gleam like embers, her pupils a striking mutation, forming a jagged cross in each eye. "You two have fun, this festival is really exciting this time of year I heard,"

"And you too, miss," Sero replied as the woman gave them a slow wave, wandering between their friends.

"Bye-bye~" She rang, mingling into the crowd.

"She was strange," Sero's brow remained raised.

"Quite." Hana concurred.

Unbeknownst to the crowd of students mingling with those coming and going from the market, across the park to a row of buildings overlooking the trees, a single black figure knelt over the edge of a rooftop, lowering their sharp, white claws toward a necklace bearing two pinky-sized vibrant vials. Glowing lime green and violet respectively.


"Come on, Zuzu, keep up!" Yuki grinned behind her red scarf as she bound between two horizontal foam pillars, rolling until her toes curled at the edge of a large ditch lined with bouncy spheres.

"Almost there!" He cried out, diving away from the rotating pillars through the gap as the past obstacle nearly clipped his feet. He dove through, vaulting immediately from the edge onto the first red sphere head first. His expression blanked with panic as the bouncy surface launched him high into the air. "Waaaaah!" He struck the second one with his scalp, spinning through the air like a star toward the ditch of padding below.

"Gotcha!" Yuki's hand caught Izuku's, balancing perfectly on the wobbly surface as Izuku caught his feet against the sphere vertically to see her glimmering smile. "Saved ya,"

Izuku's frazzled mind calmed, smiling sheepishly up at the bluette. "Thank you, Yuki."

"Hehehe," She beamed before her own body was sent flying off the edge by a hand on her shoulder. "Eh?"

The couple collapsed into the ditch with Yuki atop Izuku, burying his face in her chest as she waved a fist back at the ash-blonde laughing on the fourth sphere. "Hahaha, next time don't flirt in front of the enemy!"

"I'm still looking, Dumb-Dumb!" Yuki jabbed back, unaware Izuku was currently 'winning' on his own terms, then Yuki gave a smug smile. "You're gonna slip~!"

"No, I'm - Yah!" Katsuki immediately misjudged the landing, the sphere swaying forward as his foot slipped from under him, knocking the blond back against the previous sphere as the spring force flung him down onto the mats with an audible 'smack'.

"Ouch..." Izuku and Yuki winced as Ochaco hovered over the obstacles with a cute giggle.

"Sorry, Katsuki~" She grinned anxiously as he muttered something face-first into the mats.


"Aren't these usually rigged?" Sero questioned with his brow raised, watching Hana and Velk steady their throwing arms.

"Give it a minute," Velk murmured to Sero's left.

The pair threw their balls, striking down the first two towers of cups with ease. For the third, Hana handed the last ball to Velk as the iceborne craned her right arm back, tossing with a mighty gust of cold wind behind her shoulder. The ball struck the base of the cups, and not a single item tumbled, much to their shock.

"Wh-what?" Velk blinked widely.

"Tch, too bad, love," The clerk chimed off to the side, but the boys knew well how a man cons customers out of their money. What irked Viral wasn't the greed of man, rather, seeing Velk flustered face from being insulted for her trying to restrain her strength, even Hana appeared deflated.

"Hey-" Sero put forward his own money with a stoic expression. "-we're next."

"By all means," The clerk grinned, taking Sero's fee for himself and Viral. Both waited until the other two towers were stacked before knocking them down a second later with just one ball, Sero having angled his shot to ricochet from the tent's post to skim the three towers, knocking the left and right down with ease.

"Oh?" Hana stared in surprise as Viral took the last ball with a dull stare.

"What a joke," Cracked his neck, he waved his arm around once, carefully drawing a magic seal on the back of the ball. "Volt Barrage," His hand flung the ball forward with a golden contrail left in its wake, sparks trickling through the air.

The clerk immediately shrunk as his face began to break out in a sweat. The ball had pierced the tampered tower, knocking the cups down by tearing the table with them and out the tent wall behind it. Viral glowered at the man as Sero held a winning grin. "I think we'll let the girls pick their prizes,"

"S-sure..." The clerk soon clammed shut after that.

Once their prizes were obtained, Velk stood with a white scarf dotted with various blue snowflakes, a large light blue flake in the middle as she bowed her head timidly. "Thank you, Viral."

For Hana, she decided to tuck away into her bag a plush of a white and blue dragon with an oddly familiar tail of blue ice that formed a blade. "You didn't need to do that, but I appreciate it," Her reply made Sero rub a finger under his nose with a grin.

"That cheapskate basically robbed you guys, only fair we return the favor, so no worries," Hana only blinked again, sharing a tiny smile of her own as she walked close to Sero.

"...I see..."

Behind them out of earshot, Viral stared ahead, seeing the various, colorful souls sway within their bodies, bundles of emotions formed a sea of thoughts and feelings that his eye could admire. However, the one beside him was but a small handful of embers drifting quietly within Velk's chest.

"I don't hate you," Viral's words drew Velk's surprised eyes to his frown and patched eye. Of all things she expected to hear, that was the last. "But... why?" His knuckles were shaking. "Why did you abandon us?"

Velk lowered her eyes to her scarf, tugging it down as she stared at their feet. "I wanted to fight, I really did..." Her hands moved to clasp one another. "I should've been there," Her voice trembled as she spoke, "What happened to Harbinger, that wasn't your fault, this... is on the hands of Harrow."

"Harbinger! What's wrong!?" Velk ran to her leader's aid, his arms around his stomach as he shook with pain. With one chain outstretched her swiped at Velk's hand.

"Stay... back... don't come closer...!" He seethed, eyes unfocused as that fixed smile of his cracked, a metallic grinding sound emanating from its jaws as he stumbled around aimlessly through the wasteland. "You need... to go... run... Run now!" Harbinger croaked angrily.

"Harbinger..." She closed her hand, bringing it back an inch before her foot pivoted.

What shocked the old Nightmare was to find her claws placed against his chest where his soul was, she gasped at what she felt. Inside Harbinger, his solid pearl-white flame was flickering against an invisible force, black particles were beginning to feed and corrode his soul. "Harrow... is he... trying to consume you!?"

"You need to go, I can't... stop him...!" Harbinger huffed, trying to push Velk away but her hands pressed further, sinking through Harbinger's skin. "No, don't take his soul from mine!"

"If I don't, you'll die at this rate!" Velk yelled back, trying to carefully split the two flames apart. Viral was better at this than she was but he had seen him do it many times to Nightmares that had forcibly consumed Hosts. It was a risky method but she was strong enough to suppress Harrow with her ice. "Just grit and bear it, old man!"

"You... brats..." He tried to chuckle but his throat squeezed tightly. If he could, he'd scream. "Run..."

"I'm not leaving you!"

"You're not!" Harbinger raised his voice, staring back into her curved eyes. "I'm... giving you... a head... start..." He hand rose toward her. "You need... to run..."

Velk removed her frozen hands, shaken by such a gutless act. "I - GAH!"

Their eyes widened, seeing Harbinger's claws pierce and tear through Velk's shoulder in a flash, bringing with him the embers dislodged from Velk's soul. Time slowed to a crawl, blue embers scattered in the dark world between their horrified eyes. The force threw Velk down onto the ground, gasping and clawing at her own chest as though her very essence was being torn apart.

Her Host was gone.

Her soul was fragmented.

"...run..." Harbinger managed one last time, his final look to the shambling Nightmare that clutched her chest, crawling onto her feet in desperation. Her gasps and pained groans plaguing his thoughts until the very last second of consciousness.

Velk raised her head, a look of pure hatred spilling out ahead of them. "I can still feel it, that part of me suffering; we're going to kill him, and I'm going to mount the head of that son of a bitch on my tail,"

As much as Viral regretted to admit it, his Host had been correct. Where he had ignored Velk's pleas, he never understood why she fled, he assumed it was out of cowardice or fear. He never saw the scars from that distance, the pain Velk endured as she lost not just her Host but a piece of herself as Viral merely lost an eye, his fingers running down the patch.

Would things have ended differently if he didn't give in to his hatred? Would they be...? He didn't finish that thought, nor did he wish to dwell on worries for tomorrow, they were at a festival after all. Harbinger wouldn't want them dwelling on sorrow every day.

"No," Viral found his voice, his fists relaxing. "Not alone."

That, for the first time in years, made Velk feel at ease. "I'm glad." Then she unexpectedly grabbed his hand, pulling him eagerly. "Now, come on, there's a lot we still haven't done yet!"


"Where did you find this?" Shoto inquired, eating the blue ball of his Dango, enjoying the sweet flavor as Yaoyorozu sat down next to him with her own colorful Dango dessert, the colors red and white.

"There was a stall a while back that I thought looked really eye-catching, when I found out they served these I thought you'd like one," She answered honestly, enjoying her own with a soft hum. "So sweet!" Stars dazzled around her blissful aura.

"Mm," Shoto agreed, the pleasant silence between them made him oddly relaxed. Or it would had his mismatched eyes not caught the glint of something behind a small line of bushes. "Hm?" He stared back, seeing the two blue eyes on a metal mask peeking over the foliage. "Is that...?"

"Is something wrong?" Yaoyorozu asked as he pointed ahead of them, stilling munching on his Dango as Yaoyorozu followed, only to gasp as her face lit up brightly.

"I think they see us," Akio whispered.

"Ah, crap, I knew Hunter stealth tech sucked," Rayla tossed the small device away in protest. "What now?"

Yuki paled, seeing the black aura shroud the studious vice-president of the class. "We turn around, pretend we didn't snap pictures of the lovely couple, and do a runner."

"I can get behind that," Akio nodded.

"Agreed," Rayla turned slowly.

"Run!" Yuki pounced forward alongside the others in a desperate attempt to hide.


"-Not our finest moment," Rayla winced as Kirishima laughed boisterously in line with her after the trio's ordeal with spying on Shoto and Yaomomo. "The lesson today is don't count on Hunter tricks to save you,"

"Didn't you say it malfunctioned for that, um, what's it called...?" He crossed his arms, head raised to the sky.

"Fireteam Horizon," Rayla answered with her finger extended.

"Yeah, them! So if it malfunctioned why use it?"

"Either I do or it's a paperweight," Rayla gave a flat stare.

"Ooooh, I getcha!" Kirishima grinned as they stepped toward the strength test game with a bell at the top. Since the two were pretty evenly matched during their training, this was a surefire way to end the question of who packed the biggest punch. "Ladies first," Kirishima waved.

"Gentleman today are we, Red?" Rayla cooed, taking up the mallet while handing the clerk her payment. Giving the oddly light hammer a few test spins, gauging its weight like an Iron Lord's Warhammer, she brought it over her right shoulder. "This one's for you, Tekres! Hyrah!"

Her arms bulged as she slammed the hammer down so hard the ground trembled with a gust of wind. Kirishima stared on in awe as the gauge shot up the mast and knocked the bell flying from its perch, the goofy ring of metal flying high until it landed elsewhere. Those present were stumped by the quirky girl's strength as she sat the head of the hammer down with her right arm rested against the butt.

"Um... whoops?" Rayla chuckled slowly as the clerk ticked a box on his notepad.

"We're terribly sorry, man!" Kirishima apologized quickly but the clerk shrugged.

"Not to worry, that's the fifth time today," He sounded far too used to this.


Under a large tent, Akio scanned the selection of clothes and accessories on the benches on either side of the carpet-covered tent. It had a warm, inviting atmosphere as Kyoka inspected herself in a mirror out of his view when she spoke up. "Say, I know you paid for this and all, but how did you convince Mr. Aizawa to let all of us go here anyway?"

Akio perked up, thinking about the tense conversation that led to him bowing constantly with Viral. Scratching his cheek, he chuckled. "It was... tricky, I don't think I've bowed as much since I first lived with you and your parents,"

Kyoka hummed, listening closely while adjusting her hair. "You didn't need to go all out for this, ya know? We would've paid too-"

"I know, but you've all done a lot for me, so surprise~" He chimed as Kyoka moved out from behind a clothing rack.

"Yeah, very surprised, dork," Kyoka huffed, her right jack between her fingers. "So? Any good?"

Kyoka's bangs had grown quite a bit and were in her face so she decided to buy two violet ribbons, tying her bangs into two small tails, leaving a few free above her brow. Akio stared at her for the longest time, admiring the aloof stare mingled with nervousness before offering a sweet smile.

"As beautiful and radiant as always," The compliment made Kyoka smile bashfully, playing with her jack constantly.

"I-it's just ribbons..." She lost her voice as Akio held her chin up slightly to stare at her wide eyes calmly.

"But it's 'you', so that makes it amazing," His earnest reply made her defenses crumble as she removed his hand, blushing lightly.

"You're so corny..." She shook her head, passing Akio to pay for the ribbons but quickly pecked his cheek as his body stood up straight with a buzz. "T-thanks, dork."

"Always a pleasure," He giggled, following his rocker with his hand intertwining with hers tightly.


As the afternoon stretched, the various groups met up just outside the entrance line for the large rollercoaster with Yuki waving down the last to arrive. "Alright, everyone's here, yeah?"

"All accounted for," Viral raised a thumb.

"Sweet; so from the schedule Akio gave me-"

"Your welcome!" He waved.

"-the fireworks aren't for another two hours, basically sundown and the queue for bigger rides can eat a lot of that up so what's everyone voting for?" Yuki waved a hand, materializing a notepad and pen into existence.

"Sorry, Yuki?" Shoto raised a hand to address the class, staring up at the sky, rather, the lack of blue. "Isn't it already pretty late?"

"Is it?" "I hadn't noticed..." "Did we lose track of time?"

"No, it's still only half two," Izuku frowned, noting the sky was turning black but not from clouds, rather, the blue was faded into a murky darkness, a faint atmosphere of purple and blue merging into the sky like twilight. "There wasn't to be any rain today either,"

"And I triple-checked the weather to make sure today was perfect too," Akio declared, pouting. "Man, that'll be annoying."

"I don't believe the weather is our concern," Viral deadpanned.

"Sorry, I have to agree with him, Akio," Velk smiled sheepishly.

"SIVA hasn't picked anything up," Yuki replied, rubbing her nape before her eyes slit a little in thought. "Rather... everything's distorted, now that I'm realizing it."

"Maybe the weather just hit us quickly?" Kirishima suggested but Rayla shook her head, and with a white flash, Solaire appeared. "Woah, hey there,"

"Hello, sorry to intrude on your outing but Yuki is correct, something strange has distorted the upper atmosphere," The ghost replied calmly, his shell expanding to pulse a few times. "Strange, it's comparable to... it's as if we stumbled upon a Darkness Zone," Solaire hummed oddly as many eyes glanced at Rayla who slowly reached for a silver handcannon tucked under her belt.

"Basically means places touched by the Darkness burden our Light and regenerative properties," Her tone was sharp and steady. "That's never a good sign... did Kovik send more Hive?"

"Unlikely, but..." Solaire trailed off, disappearing into Rayla.

"Darkness, y-you don't think?" Yuki gulped at the implication. If it were the Darkness, just from her memories alone it wasn't something to joke about. Kovik was one threat entirely but something as dangerous as the Hive or heaven forbid the Darkness, then they'd be in huge trouble. "Sorry, SIVA's memories of those times are a little depressing."

"Anything like that would be helpful though, just to be on the safe side," Izuku reassured her, staring up at the black sky. "Why does this feel wrong? Like my Quirk's reacting to the weather?"

"Maybe one of us should call UA?" Yaoyorozu suggested as Shoto held up his phone.

"I've tried, but the signal's completely dead," It was the same on everyone's phones, even Yuki couldn't bypass the interference.

As the others scanned their surroundings, only one could pick up on the faintest of sounds over the murmurs and commotion. The taut fingers against a string like a guitar, the slight groan from the device bending from the action. The slight ruffle and adjustment of the body rubbing against clothing. The grip trembled, and soon, a soft but sharp 'scwaft' of an arrow leaving a shaft broke the ambiance.

A single shard of black glass flew through the air, skimming banners and stands by millimeters, bending between Shoto and Rayla as neither realized what honed in on a boy with faux-brown hair. His own gaze met the glint of light refracting off the jagged glass surface, only for something to slam into his shoulder into Yuki and Izuku.

"YAahH!" Kyoka fell onto her back, the particles of a disintegrating arrow shaft trailing through the air.

Everyone felt their blood freeze, none more than Akio and Viral who stared for the longest time at the fallen girl with a shard of semi-opaque crystal embedded in her chest. Akio's mind suddenly raced as his eyes dilated. "...K... KYOKA!"

There wasn't even time for Akio to so much as reach for Kyoka's hand before another overwhelming presence surrounded the frazzled students.

"Get Back!" Viral grabbed his Host, tossing the boy into his chest before a pair of blazing orange claws gouged out Viral's stomach, the impressive air force rippling through his body as it sent him flying through the side of a food stall, startling the bystanders into a panic.

"That's a fine reaction time," The dark-skinned creature stood tall as Class 1-A fanned out. Yuki and Yaomomo helping Ochaco move Kyoka the furthest away as the girl groaned in pain from the shard in her chest, hearing her labored gasps fill the air. The Nightmare licked the hand he struck Viral with, seeing the split appendage close up together in an instant. "Still the same, Viral?"

The Nightmare wore nothing but a pair of cream baggy trousers with orange prayer beads tied to his left hip. His chest appeared cracked and pulsed similarly to magma as various orange spines grew from his back, orange tattoos lining his bare skin. Orange eyes stared back, wide with wonder with raven hair pulled back with a few orange tips. A symbol of triangles surrounded his left eye.

"Don't know who you are but you're ugly enough to be shot-" Rayla immediately unloaded the entire moon clip into the Nightmare's scalp, blowing the upper half off entirely as a fist curled up and slammed into her own raised forearm, feeling the bone snap as she slid back on her heels into a counter. "-n-nevermind, ow," She shook her limp arm as Solaire quickly appeared.

"Not a second to hesitate, I like that," He commented, waving one hand politely at the frozen students, many of which had looks that could kill but none could find the strength to move against a foe they couldn't kill. Slowly, Viral shambled forward, banishing his human form for his rugged clothing and scowl.

"Everyone stand back! Magnar, what did you do!?" Viral snarled as the orange Nightmare grinned, eyes narrowed.

"I didn't do anything, you know my skills aren't suited toward a long-ranged fight," His finger prodded toward the arch of the rollercoaster behind them. "But I'm sure you know one of us is, besides, we were just thinning the herd, the mere sight of weaklings disgusts me,"

"There's more of these guys!?" Kirishima gaped, feeling his hands shake far worse than when he fought Rappa.

"We've been outsmarted, and now one of us paid for it," Shoto grimaced, glancing back at Yuki trying to heal the area around Kyoka's chest with SIVA. "Defend them,"

"Already on it!" Kirishima hardened his forearms, ripping his sleeves as Katsuki joined him, sparks crackling between his fingers.

"Come on, why won't it budge!?" Yuki hissed as Kyoka cried when any of them touched the shard in her chest. Fortunately, it didn't appear to be fatal by Yuki's scans which baffled her. "How... that... that should've..."

"Hey," Izuku grabbed Yuki's free hand to shake her from her trembling. His eyes were filled with worry as much as Yaoyorozu who did her best to keep Kyoka calm beside Ochaco. "What's important is that Kyoka's alive, we can figure this out, just focus on helping her as much as you can."

Yuki sighed, nodding slightly. "R-right, okay, I can do that," Turning to Kyoka, Yuki slipped her mask on to read through everything alongside SIVA. "You make sure the others are safe then, we'll protect Kyoka."

"H-h-hate being... dams-sel..." The rocker wheezed, rolling her eyes as dry humor brought a few smiles back. "M-m-man t-this hu-hurts..."

"Just try to remain still, Yuki's got this," Ocha smiled confidently, only briefly sharing Yuki's frightened eyes.

Magnar waved a hand at Viral and Velk. "While this wasn't the desired reunion, let me make you both an offer," His smile sickened them. "Why don't you both come back with us?"

"We'll pass," Velk snorted a jet of rime, joining with Hana once more as the sword on their back gleamed.

His eyes widened a little with interest. "I can tell just by looking at you both that you've grown - playing heroes, huh?" Their auras merged in close proximity, a raging blizzard, and a mystical mana pool. "Your souls are tempered, even your Host bear a striking potency; yet despite that, you claw alongside weaklings that have no right to even exist near us; come with us, and together we'll all climb to that ascendant state,"

"This guy's on the same level as Viral and Velk," Izuku felt his throat clam up at the presence, just like when he first saw All For One or met All Might, the mere sight of them gave off an entirely different vibe than any other hero or villain. "We need to help them..."

"Just wait, our chance will show," Rayla whispered, cocking her handcannon.

"You are right, we are stronger, as a race, we cannot die of age or illness, it's natural for us to be stronger, however, humanity in its darkest hour can accomplish what the strong can never do, see things they can't perceive," Viral glared daggers at the Nightmare. "This girl is not weak-" Kyoka managed to lift her head at that. "-Don't insult her,"

"We've made it clear we will not join you," Velk warned with a single, sharp breath. "Leave. Now."

"I see,"

Magnar's right foot split the tarmac, sending fissures of orangy-red light through the crust as it formed a dangerous webbing of light around him. "Soul Forge - Esoteric Art - First Art, Golem," The lines melded into the shape of a golem of stone and magma at his toes, his smile persistent throughout with a glare. "I suppose we'll just have to kill you then,"

"Tch," Viral lunged for the first strike, only for something to emerge from the darkness.

He wore a black tricorn, a gray duster coat, a pair of brown leather boots, a pair of black, gloveless gauntlets with golden ornaments, and a reddish bandanna covering his face, leaving only a triangular space for his pupilless, yellow eyes to stare endlessly ahead. His right forearm gnarled and mangled with yellow crystals, the bone and flesh twisted into a crooked river of a crossbow, the fingers forming the fleshy mechanism.

Their reptilian tail swept below his tailcoat, the bony end split to spray a volley of yellow dust in the face of Viral, paralyzing his body temporarily for Magnar's steel-like right hook to the lower jaw, socking him across the pavement. "Scourge?!" Velk gasped as the crossbow charged, the bolt shattering the wall of ice erected by her foot.

Scourge sunk through the ice, grabbing Velk to drag her away from the students toward the skeleton of the rollercoaster. Thinking on reflex, Izuku swung his arm. "Help them, and keep everyone else out of the area, hurry!" Purplish lines erupted and faded into a dull mint green aura around his body. "Full Cowling, fifty percent!"

Viral shook the dust from his eyes, guarding with his right arm only to watch the flesh and bone disintegrate at Magnar's snap kick, his right arm spun around to strike the left that held strong against the punch. Using his tail, Viral struck Magnar's cheek with a blade of ice, but the Nightmare evaded, grabbing Viral's cloak to fling him into a slope of ice that caught him.

Shoto swung his arm wide, creating a half-pipe for Viral to loop back with his regenerated arm, blasting Magnar point blank with a combination of Fire Scourge and Shoto's flames. Magnar cackled, grabbing his old friend by the face to slam him into Shoto, a single fist through Viral tossing the pair backward as Izuku's Delaware smashes made contact, rupturing Magnar's skin slightly though he appeared unimpressed.

"Is that all you got?" Izuku gaped, finding the orange eyes an inch from his face, a fist closing in on his stomach.

"Midoriya!" Yaoyorozu created several iron spears, plunging them through Magnar's arm to barely swing it off course, the sheer force blasting apart the tarmac behind Izuku as he performed a handstand, swinging his left foot wide to blow Magnar backward on his heels.

"Thanks!" Izuku huffed, Viral releasing a barrage of Vile Spines, unfortunately, Magnar deflected them with his bare arms, his left jab blocked by Viral's arms as they trembled, breaking in two as the limp appendages blinded the Nightmare with his own black blood. Magnar grabbed Viral's head, using him like a bat to swat Izuku from the air, slamming both into Shoto's wall of ice.

Over by the rollercoaster, Scourge unleashed another three payloads of energy from his crossbow arm, splintering large segments of the attraction as Velk swung her tail wide, the sheet of ice nicking his chest while freezing the coaster with torrents of ice.

Her tail carved through the debris, shards of frozen wood flung into Scourge, nicking his hat as he dove through the air, blinding Velk with a cloud of paralyzing mist.

Landing before the students he slowly turned to greet them with a tip of his hat. "Hello. Goodbye," With that, his hands released another wave of toxic yellow mist. Through the smog, his crossbow was swung back by Kirishima's knuckle, a piece of tape over his hardened mouth as his right tore across the Nightmare's torso. "Hm, you figured it out?"

"Don't lump us in with a bunch of extras!" Katsuki snarled behind Scourge, hands against the beast's spine with a devilish grin. "We don't need some crappy stun mechanic to win a fight!"

*BOOM!*

Flames engulfed the area in front of Katsuki, making him grin as a charred hand suddenly clasped his smirk, filling his face with a dark grey mist instead, causing him to recoil. "Grah, what the hell!?"

"Who said I was only capable of paralysis? Do not lump me in with those extras," Scourge mocked, his tail swiping once to swat Katsuki into the dirt as his crossbow released a powerful bolt, knocking Kirishima backward as his arms cracked. "How much can you take?"

Another bolt forced his arms to buckle, yet he did not yield, "Just for a second - h-huh?" Kirishima blinked, Scourge was gone as the tape was peeled from his lips, and a gust of yellow air filled his lungs. "W-what the..." He wheezed, collapsing onto his back.

The smoke cleared, Scourge polished his warped crossbow carefully. "I spent a long time preparing that shard for Viral's Host but I didn't expect a mortal to step in, how unfortunate, I suppose her final mistake will be an agonizing one,"

"What did you do to her!?" Velk challenged, avoiding another plume of mist as her blade locked with the crossbow.

"You could say, she will have a better death than this world," Scourge replied, firing a bolt that swung their arms away, providing him with a chance to run and hide in a shadow, though Velk caught sight of his hand bowing his hat. "Besides, we only needed to stall you for a moment, goodbye, old friend."

"No!" Her spear of ice failed to reach its mark, Scourge had disappeared, leaving her to stand before her friends who slowly recovered from the pitiful assault.

Rayla's gunshots rang as the bullets were absorbed through Magnar's skin, the wounds closing up slowly as he approached her blazing body, striking where her head once sat as her fiery fist burned a hole through his stomach, knocking him back before his claws caught her chin, spinning her onto her ass mid-reload.

Viral flicked his fingers, discarding several red balls into the air. "Will o Wisp," He clenched his fists as the column of flames consumed Magnar, or they would have, had he not simply stomped his foot, dispersing the flames into scattered arcs of embers.

"Killing you now would be a waste when you haven't even reached your true potential!" Magnar's jubilation led him to leap away from a grenade kicked by Izuku, the orb of fire dividing the two parties. "Unfortunately, this is where we part ways, for now," Magnar waved his arms wide at his defeated enemies. "Enjoy the Endless Night."

That name shook Viral down to his core. "No... he didn't,"

All Magnar did was laugh, disappearing before Shoto's ice could reach him, leaving an empty street layered in frost. Under a blanket of darkness, the heroes had lost.

"What's the 'Endless Night'?" Izuku asked.

"It's a rare and dangerous spell, once triggered, almost nothing but the caster can stop it," Viral admitted as Akio left his body to run to Kyoka's side. "If it's this large then we're already too late to stop it, this world will be devoured, any form of energy will be broken down and consumed for Harrow to take,"

"Our whole world, seriously?" Ochaco breathed hollowly, the revelation weighing down on the students that shared various disbelieving or downright despaired expressions.

"That's why everything's distorted, he cast the spell and those two distracted us," Yuki's fingers dug at the rubble. "And Kyoka..."

"I-I'm fine," She winced, sitting upright in Akio's arms. "W-w-what n-now?"

"Now?" Viral blinked, scowling at the insinuation with a wave of his tail. "You saw that? We didn't even last a minute against either of them, let alone Harrow without Endeavour and Hawks!"

"We can't just do nothing!" Sero exclaimed. "Jiro's got that thing stuck in her chest, and you just said our world's dying, you can't expect us to sit here take this lying down!"

"I don't know what to do!?" Viral's voice silenced them, only the distant screams of panic and pandemonium filling the dark, starless sky. "All I have done since he gouged out my eye was run and hide, sure, we nearly beat him weeks ago but that was a fluke, a lucky shot that I missed! I don't know how to cure Kyoka, or fix this Endless Night, or beat the Nightmares that know me better than myself - I'm not Neckros, I can't just make a new spell to save the day!"

Again, silence overtook the world, their minds racing with questions on how to act in such disarray. Eventually, Yuki spoke up. "Who's 'Neckros'?"

"A legendary Nightmare," Velk answered as Hana sat down next to her, breathing heavily. "He defined what it was to be a Nightmare, forging a new spell before thousands of Nightmares, and who's slain a monster that nearly became a God," Velk held her head up with a fond smile. "Heh, Viral was so memorized that day we saw him and his Host, they were unlike any other pair in history,"

"Don't remind me..." Viral rubbed his temples in embarrassment. "No one can be like him, not even me,"

"But we can try to be," Hana declared, picking herself up with her sword. "I may not know how this day will end, nor do I care, what matters to me is how I'm going to try and change things for the better, even if I die, I won't sit by and take the punches silently,"

"Not by yourself, anyway!" Kirishima grinned, slamming his fists together. "Wouldn't be manly to let the world be destroyed while I'm sitting around worrying about it, come on!" He waved his arm wide. "We've been in tough situations like this before, right!? When's that stopped us!? Ravage on I-Island! The Summer Camp! Saving Bakugo and Yuki! We can't just call it quits just 'cause we're behind!"

The redhead's rousing speech drew the others to their feet, Akio picking Kyoka up bridal style. "I know better than anyone how impossible it seems to beat Harrow," His eyes and Viral's met. "But look at us, look how far we've come from just running and hiding, I won't throw that away," His hands gripped Kyoka tightly. "I won't lose anything precious to me again."

"Akio..." She murmured, smiling weakly.

"I'm going to find a way to save you," He vowed with a tone she had never heard before, filled with strength and determination that sounded like a whole new tune. "To the ends of this world,"

"Wouldn't be heroic if we didn't give it our all!" Ochaco grinned, holding her fist forward.

"No matter what, we have to try, even against the odds!" Izuku agreed as Yuki held his hand tightly.

"It doesn't matter how many more we have to face, we can do this!" Yuki faced the sky, narrowing her eyes. "All signs of energy fluctuations are converging toward the beach, that must be where the spell's being cast,"

We mustn't dwell here | The rate of consumption is increasing | We should move in less than two minutes

"Then we have our marker, let's not waste any more time," Shoto concurred, "We're on our own, so we can't afford to make as many mistakes as last time."

"Yeah-yeah, we get it!" Katsuki growled, his hands glowing. "When I get my hands on that lizard I'll destroy him!"

"Well, for once, I agree with Explosion Boy," Rayla chuckled, dawning her armour in a flash with a sliver and white pump shotgun in her hands, a few blue accents along the chamber. "Hmph, First In Last Out, nice."

"I thought you'd appreciate a little more kick," Solaire announced.

"I'll hook you guys up with some old equipment Solaire's kept, just for the added protection," Rayla added, bringing Solaire forward to materialize various armor pieces for them to scour through.

"Why... against all the odds?" Viral was taken back by their eagerness. Their world was dying right before their eyes, their Quirks barely a match for two Nightmares, and yet, they kept moving forward.

"This coming from the guy that's stuck his neck out for these guys countless times," Velk smiled under her veil. "I know I wronged you, and Harrow's manipulations, both to Harbinger, Ravage, and the others have hurt you, but you can put your faith in them... in me," Her words broke his trance, feeling her cooling presence by his side. "Sometimes, we just have to take a chance."

Viral stared at those he observed for so long, gearing up with armor offered by the Guardian as Yuki's clothing was masked behind her barding, scouting ahead atop the rollercoaster with Sero. They didn't dwell on defeat, they moved toward certain death without a shred of doubt. Win or lose, they would give everything to change fate.

Viral's fangs gleamed against his smile. "Humanity is strong when they are weak."


The darkness shrouded by twilight gave way for a seaside cliff. Stretched from the land, large masses of earth were suspended above the crashing waves. Various pillars carved with glowing runes in an unknown language, keep the spell active. Atop the highest landmass, a large, white gash bled against the sky, trickling what appeared to be pale blue water.

"I can't detect anyone in the area," Yuki confirmed, facing her friends. "They must've fled into that rift,"

"Then that's where we're going," Akio said immediately after, "You okay?"

Kyoka struggled to move much in his arms but nodded. Everyone, herself included, wore various padded barding and plate metal in the colors of their hero costumes, it was basic matterweave and carbon-fiber plates but it made up for the lack of clothing protection.

*Rumble... Rumble...!*

Tremors from the Endless Night tore up more of the land around them, the trees withering as their branches bent toward the epicenter of the storm. "That rift is starting to destabilize, let's move now!" Viral rallied, helping those that could make the large jump forward.

The group scattered to the floating landmasses, climbing up the boulders and trees toward the rift that started to fluctuate, shrinking a few inches. Everyone ran faster, concern for what lay beyond the breach abandoned. Their friend, their world, all of it hung on their choices here and now.

"Keep moving forward!" Yuki yelled, throwing Yaoyorozu and Kirishima onto the highest point.

"Go Beyond Plus Ultra, right!?" Velk mused, flying up to the rift as she aided Shoto in creating a set of stairs for the rest to climb as Katsuki and Rayla were the first to make it to the rift, diving in.

"Be careful," Yuki murmured, swinging Izuku toward the rift as she watched his body vanish from sight. Viral was the furthest back with her, having checked the magic. "Any luck!?"

"No! Whatever he's done it can't be stopped, it must be tethered inside the rift!" Viral declared leaping up with her. "We can worry about the spell later, hurry!"

"Right behind you!" The two bound over the rubble, the rift shrinking smaller and smaller. Viral leapt through but Yuki hesitated, glancing back at the world bathed in darkness, the land beginning to erode.

|We can fix this|

"I hope," With a shaky sigh, Yuki turned to the rift, heart beating against her chest. "Be safe, Mom, Nana," Sprinting, Yuki dove through the last stretch of the rift, the portal vanishing into particles behind her.

...

...

...

...

...

...

"-Yah!" Yuki collided with Izuku the second her body was squeezed through the gap, groaning alongside her partner as she picked herself off his chest with a shy smile. "Sorry, hate that feeling, like my guts were ripped up and pieced together again,"

"I never wanted to do that again," He sighed, helping her stand on what appeared to be a grassy hillside. "The others are ahead, come on." Taking her hand, Izuku led the disorientated Archon up the slope toward sunlight, or what appeared to be sunlight.

The faint sound of thunderous waterfalls could be heard, even the occasional sky blue butterfly sauntered by their faces as the pair met the rest atop the hill, some sitting down in complete stupefaction at what greeted them. Izuku's jaw unhinged, and Yuki had to remove her mask to share that expression, eyes wide with stars as their hearts missed a beat.

The land was vast, covered in hillsides, rivers, and waterfalls atop distant cliffs that formed a U-Shaped basin around them. Ahead of the valley the land simply broke away into a vast white void below, various landmasses floating toward the distance, connected by objects or other bodies of rock that melded with them.

The sky above was blue until it wasn't leaving the valley, turning white and patchy, some parts of the sky bearing various weather conditions or daylight cycles. Everything was plucked from worlds and stitched together haphazardly.

Most notable of all was the massive white spire in the distance, faint but visible, and not too far from that view, a titanic wall of white stretched across the left side, seemingly endless, towering over the scattered lands. A giant corridor with no discernable way inside.

"I didn't dare believe it," Viral murmured, standing in awe, pulling his hood down. "The timeless void!"

"So, where are we?" Ochaco voiced everyone's burning question.

Viral turned, waving a hand far to the sacred lands. "A world beyond worlds, a place many have been lost to; the Shattered Isles expunged from the Corridors of Time," His eye scanned the teens, the scarred left glowing brightly. "We are officially Timelost."

To Be Continued...


Maaaan that was a tricky start to this 'movie' revolving around Akio and Viral's story. I wanted to give all the characters some chance in the spotlight while revealing more about Viral and Velk's past. Then there's the introduction of the last unknown members of Viral's old pack, Magnar, and Scourge.

There's a lot that happened to get this ball rolling so I hope it was to everyone's liking as I'm working completely without any direction from the MHA Manga. I really wish to bring a memorable addition to My Hero with this special. I hope you enjoyed, I appreciate the support as always; seeya in the next chapter, Heroes!

Next Chapter: Movie, Timelost

Yuki: I never in my life thought I'd see another world or lack of any...

Akio: We can't waste time though, Kyoka's getting worse

?: Then allow me to be your guide toward salvation

Yuki: You!?

?: How interesting, coming soon, Timelost

Akio: Go Beyond-!

Yuki: -Plus Ultra!