Chapter 107 - Will of Imperfection

Kovik admired the total destruction that turned the sky red, he knew the heroes would find him soon, that was fine, he had something yearning for him to pursue his targets. This insatiable feeling he shared with Shigaraki as his mind twigged on to their location, craning his neck toward the ruins. "There you are... One For All," Pressing a finger to his helmet, he heard the static clear. "Phase Two confirmed, how is your end, Drevis?"

Miles away from the battle, in a far-off city a single, towering high-rise gave off no indication of trouble. Of course, anyone that knew this building knew the people within it is some of the most influential figures in Japan's Hero Society. The Hero Public Safety Commission. But with how dark the clouds were this day, no one would notice the blue flashes that pierced the windows.

Drevis lowered her wire rifle as the bodies of two more HPSC members collapsed at her feet, a golf-ball-sized hole burnt through their chests, even their blood had already evaporated against the floor as her metallic feet clanked across the marble.

She raised two fingers to her helmet, the left side of her helmet modified with a fragment of Vosik's mask, giving her a malformed, arachnid glare. "VIPs eliminated, prime target in sight." She had to thank that clone Twice made of Re-Destro, it was a good thing they held some of the fool's blood after all. But... the clone had melted away, either someone took it down without Drevis' knowledge, or... Twice was in danger...

The Wolf glowered at the woman unable to move from behind her desk, she knew she had nowhere to run, so, she put on a brave face and sat perfectly still. A middle-aged woman with a stoical and steely expression, possessing a set of turquoise eyes and ash blonde hair that is slicked back.

"If you believe I feel threatened by you, then I feel thankful to disappoint you," She replied dully, Drevis kept walking with a stride that made her appear like a snake creeping up on its prey. "My position can be filled again very easily, while a hindrance, this barbaric act will serve as a waste of time."

"Don't care," Drevis replied curtly, rifle charging up.

The woman's eyes steeled, "What is your purpose here?"

"Assassinate targets, disrupt communication, move to next target," Drevis had replied without so much as an ounce of skepticism. So what if the heroes knew her targets? It wouldn't matter, her barrel will find its mark. "Do not sell yourself so high, you aren't my primary target."

"Oh?" She didn't show even a flicker of hesitance, even as a rifle muzzle pointed at her chest. "Then who, seeing as I'm about to die, I see no reason to hide anything."

Drevis let out a sound akin to a chuckle, fingers curled around the trigger. "First target, President of HPSC. Second target, Eraser Hero," That made the woman's eye tweak at the mention of someone so invisible to hero society. "Third, my own; The Hearing Hero and Martial Arts Hero." A growl escaped Drevis at their titles. "Your perfect world falls,"

But the president knew better, her communicator was still transmitting beneath her desk, yet, even with a glint of victory in the businesswoman's eyes, she could peel her eyes away from the respirator that shuffled on the Fallen's face, she was laughing? "You think I'm not aware? Tell them, the world that I'm coming," Drevis leaned closer. "From one assassin to another, you should've saved yourself a bullet."

Finally, the woman's facade cracked, fear etched into her eyes as a blinding red glare filled her eyes. Anyone still present in the building could only hear the deafening snap and pop of the wire rifle as glass shards fell upon the street below, stained with dried blood.

Drevis lowered her smoking rifle. "Phase Three complete, proceed." With this, she vanished into a haze of red nanites like she was never there.


Among the ruins of Jaku General Hospital...

Flames continuously crackled in Infernal's ears, a beautiful symphony, and he never used the word 'beautiful' to describe his flames. Chaotic, angry, vengeful, but now, with the sheer scope of their annihilation potential. He never felt so in sync with his fire, his new Host was truly a blessing, a wonderous skin that he would never part with.

"We'll reach our ideals soon, I swear it," Infernal grinned ear to ear, no longer burdened by his failure of a teacher. "Oh, so then-" He glanced up at the smoke in the sky, a human-sized ball of fire hurtling toward him. "-let's hit 'continue'."

Endeavor rolled his arms back, heat pressurized between his muscles, "Hell's..." He brandished it toward the stationary Nightmare who chuckled like a kid at Christmas. He then threw his arms forward, emitting a massive blanket of flames onto the creature, smothering the crater in roaring flames. "That's a whole blanket of Flashfire, you can't run away!"

"Did you forget?" He flinched, twisting his neck to the right to avoid the tail that struck from the blast. "I'm a walking furnace, you dolt! I can't be harmed by flames!"

But Endeavor knew that already, his fist puncturing the beast as a beam of concentrated flames burrowed through the Nightmare's sunken stomach, propelling it into the ground. Infernal chewed on the earth, splitting apart the crust with an ever-expanding web of glowing fissures. Endeavor braced as the whole crater exploded with molten fragments, some slicing through his suit but he was unscathed.

His eyes were pinpricks, Infernal had clasped his right hand over Endeavor's pale face with a giggle. "Bye-bye, little light, hehehe-"

*Fwooosh-BLAM!*

Two scarlet blades carved through Infernal's arm and neck with tremendous force. The sheer whiplash sent him flying through anything that wasn't air until he was firmly planted into the ground with a crash. Valstrax spun around, landing with a few errant sparks lingering around her body as she heaved a long breath.

"Sorry 'bout that, had to drop off a care package," She snorted, helping Endeavor to stand. "We need a Nightmare, neither of us can fight this thing forever."

"Mm," Pressing his fingers to his ear he bellowed. "Attention all! Endeavor here! I've engaged Infernal alongside Valstrax at the hospital ruins! Anyone nearby who can control flames, is immune, or can slay a Nightmare form a perimeter, we cannot allow him to escape!"

Valstrax dove back with Endeavor heading left, evading the funnel of flames as Valstrax swept through with a kick, twirling to slash the Nightmare's face into ribbons as his hands pressed to her wings, burning into their metallic scales. She didn't flinch, tail coiled around Infernal's ankle to thresh him into the ground, tossing him up for both wings to blast with a torrent of dragon element.

He coughed up the dark red vapor, his flames smaller in his palms. "What? Why am I... weaker?" His coughing fit continued. "This damn chemical is messing with my abilities!" Closing his arms around his chest, he let out an expanding sphere of flames, throwing Endeavor's fire away as two wings pierced the bubble, slicing his chest wide open for a fistful of embers to tear through the cavity, Endeavor flinging Infernal across the crater.

Valstrax landed against Endeavor's forearms, feeling his flames expand beneath her feet, launching her alongside her wings into an arrow point, swinging once with her wings. "Silver Slash!" The halo of red and silver severed Infernal's arms as they quickly grew back, fists slammed into her breastplate, attempting to devour her soul as he screamed, the vents releasing a deep red substance as it... burned him? He felt burned by it.

"What, you're divine?" He flinched away from her toothy grin.

"Nah, just a badass dragon," She winked, grabbing his tail as she shot forth into the sky at blinding speeds, twirling Infernal around to perform a helix twist, evading a beam of reddish-purple light.

"Nightmare Rain!" He fired the powerful spell again, clipping the corner of her left wing's outer vent, making her bite back a wince as both wings folded to erect behind her, propelling her down as both feet clamped to the Nightmare's chest, even as his blaze reached to burn across her whole body. "What the hell are you!?"

"Didn't you hear me!?" She bellowed, catching his tail in her teeth, tearing it off before spitting the awful flesh from her mouth. "A dragon, you dumbass!" Her velocity increased, and Endeavor swore it was a red comet in the sky as she released Infernal, leaving only a large, red explosion under her feet. "Ultimate Move - Ruby Star."

"Watch out!" Endeavor threw another wave of condensed flames into whips, Hell Spider wrapping around Infernal while Valstrax flew away from the beams, the molten thread dicing the beast's arms as another wave of fissures cast the crater in orange light. Tisking, Endeavor felt the wind brush beside him, Valstrax was still ready to fight. "Don't relent."

"Never planned on it," Valstrax replied. "Just keep him busy, easy."

"Oh, no, you shouldn't focus on me," Infernal interrupted, putting his body back together with the odd crack of bone and slosh of flesh. He pointed with his tail toward the city. "Not when One For All is ripe for the taking, hehehe."

"One... For... All?" Endeavor murmured the words, he had never heard that before, and it was located in Jaku City? He hardened his gaze at the beast.

Like that, Infernal's body slowly melted down into the shadows cast by the flames, waving. "I'd stay and fight some more, but I've got places to be, but I'll be back for round two, gotta tag my partner in," His eyes stared at Endeavor specifically. "Enjoy the reunion, little light."


Down in the ruins, Yuzuku's kick was essentially a cushion against an oppressive force, their blast would do little to ward off the shockwave. "Todoroki!" They yelled as the boy thrust his right arm in a slant.

"Heaven-Piercing Ice Wall!" The cold front swept by Yuzuku's feet as the great barrier collided with the shockwave and heat, much of the wall came crashing down, thankfully only around them, sparing the civilians as the last wave rippled by their feet, splitting the ice further as most of it stood firm. Todoroki sighed a misty breath. "Got it."

Yuzuku pulled themselves apart once the shockwave passed, their air force was enough to ward off any damage to the evacuation efforts alongside Shoto's ice wall, but now heroes were working double-time to make up for the losses. Both gave a weak fist bump but knew it was far from over.

"That one attack, if he fires it again, we're screwed," Yuki gulped, it had wiped out a third of the city in one strike. Escalation Judgement, Kovik's newest creation had dealt a blow that would put the Kamino Disaster to shame. "How do we come back from this?" She motioned at the fires and crumbling buildings before them."

"By beating him," Izuku confirmed, he was scared too but that couldn't let them hesitate, not when so many were still in need of an escape route.

Behind them, Burnin received another call, same with the others.

~One... For... All?~ It was faint and smothered by static, but the words pierced the duo's heads like an arrow. That name, those three words changed everything.

"Say what!? One For... what? Whatever, help's comin' your way!" Burnin replied, unsure of it herself, completely missing the startled states on Yuki's and Izuku's faces.

"It's..." Izuku felt it like a sickness in his stomach, eyes were watching him through the ruins.

"He sees us..." Yuki answered his thoughts exactly. Thinking fast, Yuki tried to call the lime-haired woman back from the heroes. "Burnin, wait!"

"You kids evacuate with the remaining heroes! Listen to the authorities, we gotta get farther away!"

Another line came through. ~Infernal's retreated, the real Kovik is somewhere in the city, heading for the evacuees!~ Endeavor yelled over a roar of a jet engine, more than likely Valstrax's wings. ~Expand the battle perimeter, start evacuating the city outskirts too!~

Looking around at the pandemonium, the mere idea the leader behind this calamity was heading straight for them put everyone on high alert. It was awful, their fleshed-out plans had been pulled out from under them, in a swift action the hospital now lay in burning ruins, and the city was crumbling before their eyes. All because Kovik, and possibly All For One, were after the two people they hated most.

Yuki grabbed Izuku's hand, squeezing it to snap him from his trance. He couldn't see her expression through the mask, but her eyes were pointed into slanted slits, nodding once. His fear morphed into a mix of courage and anxiety, this had to end. There was something only they could do for the sake of all these people. Letting go of his hand, the pair took off running toward the remains of the ice wall.

"If you told them, there's no denyin' they'd hafta devote a lotta people to protect you both," Running to Izuku's right was the brash hotheaded blonde. "Because heroes are supposed to protect everyone." He didn't look at them but held a face fueled by hatred.

"Kacchan!" "I knew you'd come with!"

"You've already made up your minds? That stupid sharing thoughts thing..." He muttered the last part.

"Yeah, we gotta prioritize the people's safety!" Izuku announced, Katsuki scowling straight ahead.

"First we hear 'One For All', that inky creature's bailed, and that there's a possibility that edgy final boss is heading our way... that ain't exactly solid proof, but still..." He couldn't outright deny the claims, there were far too many coincidences, besides, if Kovik wanted to wipe them out, he just had to aim a little better.

"Huh, where are you going?" Shoto called back as the trio launched themselves over the ice wall.

"I... forgot something! I'll be right back!" Izuku made a pitiful attempt at excusing himself, but right now, he could very well scream 'we're going to fight Kovik himself' and it wouldn't matter, they needed to move as far from the people as possible.

Izuku's thoughts raced a mile a minute as the trio scaled the ruins and slanted buildings from the epicenter of the attack. "I'm not visible to the naked eye at this distance through the smoke and dust, so assuming he's got another way to track me down..." He flashed a glance at Yuki using Blackbird to vault over the objects and glide. "Maybe he's still found a way to trace Yuki's whereabouts? No, Siva definitely patched that, but I shouldn't erase the possibility..."

"Assuming he can pick One For All from a crowd, and that warning too... could it be...?" Izuku threw his hand to his ear. "Deku here! Sorry for using the private frequency but... there's a chance Kovik is after myself and Aksis specifically! Maybe we can lead him to a deserted area!"

As they bound high into the air over a collapsed apparent complex, the wide world under a red sky gave off a harrowing environment straight from hell. "Requesting permission to stay in contact this way!"

~What're you saying!?~ Endeavor demanded while Katsuki and Yuki pulled ahead, scanning their surroundings for the Splicer or heaven forbid All For One's new manifestation.

"I'll explain later! I'm too far away to spot Kovik with all the smoke and dust, if you see him, please let us know if he changes course!" It was their only proof that this theory was true, for their sakes, they prayed it wasn't while jumping up from a street to the nearest rising rooftops.

~Like I've got time for-~ Endeavor gasped on his end, and a loud boom could be heard a few seconds later. ~The second we - he's changed his position! He's heading southwest now!~

"Thought so! Thank you, we can buy the evacuation effort some time!" Izuku replied, taking his hand away for a second to stare at the pair with him. "As I thought... it's possible that... All For One's quirk is with Kovik," The news may very well have shattered thousands of glass mirrors at once.

"All For One..." Katsuki growled.

"And Siva..." Yuki's face trembled beneath her mask.

The possibilities at his fingertips | Kovik has evolved | What has he done...?

~Listen, everyone! Kovik's location has been found, he's heading southwest! His abilities have been enhanced since the last time he's shown his face!~

"Here that, Kacchan, Yuki, he's coming our way!" Izuku yelled over the wind as the stench of ash clung to his costume.

"Loud and clear!" Yuki called.

"Of course I heard, were you listening!? That total scumbag's stooped into lower as a monster! All the more reason to play keep-away!" Katsuki yelled back while scaling over more buildings, further and further through the carnage and devastation. That's when Izuku blinked, gawking at his childhood friend.

"Why are you following us, Kacchan!?"

His eyes were red and jagged at that remark. "Want me to kill you instead!?"

"Erm, no!" "Dumb-Dumb, simmer down."

"Use your freakin' head! We're short on time, and who's the only guy that knows your deal without needing a long-winded explanation!? Duh, me!" Katsuki made it sound like it was as obvious as breathing.

"In-in that case, thanks!" Izuku stuttered.

"Really, we appreciate it," Yuki's eyes curved before flashing a sweatdrop. "Could do without the yelling though."

"Hah, don't get a big head about it, 'Follow us'? You think you're the main characters now or something?" He stared straight ahead, his head plagued with awful images of those days spent watching as that bastard of a Fallen tore into Yuki's body, beating her until she was unable to even crack a smile. It made the knots in his stomach worsen. "I've got unfinished business with that piece of crap..."

"Since I'm the one who put an end to All Might..." He didn't see Yuki's head bow a little, both felt partially responsible for that, nothing would sway their minds on that fact. With a challenging grin, his blasts increased, propelling him ahead of the pair. "One For All is just bait... I'll be the one to get payback for that day! It's the perfect chance to rank up and win! Get it? Good! Now keep it together and don't trip me up!"

"Got it!" Izuku's electrified body became embroiled with another increased surge, same for Yuki, the two pulling ahead of Katsuki.

"During his time with Endeavor... one on one training with All Might... every time Deku gets stronger, I grit my teeth to keep from falling behind..." Katsuki saw their backs to him. "That damn Mute's excelled, they bounce off one another like gravity... even at this thirty percent speed of hers... and fifty of his... I ain't gonna be left behind..."

"I'll take their growth and make it my own to climb even higher," His hands tensed into claws, the sweat dripping from his fingertips. "Higher than the 'Chosen One'," "I'm not gonna lose... I can't afford to stay the loser!" He bellowed, launching past them both with a triumphant smile.

As the trio glided over the remains of Jaku City, a presence, a deep, encroaching wave of darkness swept over them like a cloak, the world distorting to rebuild what overtook the space ahead of them. Receding red lightning arched around them and the person floating before them with his arms outstretched.

We all got a taste of it last summer at Kamino... that fear... of Death

...

...

...

"This nagging echo in my head... it keeps telling me to take it... hand over One For All, Izuku Midoriya," Kovik beckoned, his hands closing in toward the trio as one, their momentum carrying them toward his palms as the sheer density of nanomachines tore into their costumes and flaked their skin.

|Evade Now!|

A yellow blur ricocheted off Kovik, tackling Yuki while yanking the boys by their wrists, had he been a second later, they may not have shared such disbelieving expressions. "Gran Torino!?" Izuku gaped.

"When I heard 'One For All' over the coms I had a real bad feeling, were you kids looking to scrap with that thing!?" His eyes snapped to the trio, Yuki hanging her head.

"Possibly...?" He'd smack her around the head if he could.

"Kovik's proxy was packing new moves, as you are now, you don't stand a chance!" He warned them, even Gran Torino wasn't sure of all of Kovik's skills now, that teleportation of his was far too sudden unlike that red blurred displacement back at Hosu or Yuki's own teleportation.

"But-!" Izuku was cut off as they landed safely.

"Listen, us heroes ain't out of the picture just yet!" He twisted his neck to see several people barreling straight for Kovik. "That thing will be brought down by everyone who's left!"

Ryukyu lunged with her right talon, a barrier of light diverting the attack as Kovik grasped it, his nanomachines infusing to her scales... and decaying the outer layer! Or they would have had she not tossed the Splicer skyward. "Huh, someone's interfering with mine and Shigaraki's connection, who though?" "I can't tell if you're sharper than I expected or more desperate than I anticipated, Eraser."

Across from the small gathering of heroes, one was held in the arms of Rock Lock and Manuel, barely standing himself with his burns but managing to lock his striking gaze to the imagination of evil. "...thanks to Crust, I could make it out alive, then there are others who have kept me in this world too..." "Kovik... don't you dare lay a rotten hand on my students." Taking him down was Eraser's purpose for being alive.

Even high in the air, Kovik's hidden face cracked a small grin at his huff of acknowledgment. "Shigaraki was right, you really are impressive, Eraserhead." Gradually, Kovik held himself in the air, regaining his posture with his hands crackling with a pulsating core. "If you believe Harbinger was a calamity, then you have absolutely no clue what I'm capable of now..."

That's when Yuki's head snapped upward, even across the space between them, she could feel his presence focused solely on her, a deathly aura surrounding him. "All thanks to you, Thief, SIVA, all its augments have produced the primordial state of technology... NARA!"

"'Nara'?" Yuki echoed.

"The end of your evolution," Kovik concluded, defending against

SIVA density is beyond measure | I... I can't process it | Whatever Kovik is now, not a shred of the Eliksni within remains

SIVA's own reputation made Yuki's throat clam up, compared to every confrontation they've endured, this form Kovik took made her skin crawl the most. His strength was unbelievable, the chaos surrounding her was evidence of that. Just what had he done to SIVA's coding? Could he even be beaten anymore?

"He's... a monster," Hearing her trembling voice drew Izuku out of his own funk, seeing her mask's pupils shaken with fear. She never looked this way before, caution was paramount, but this? It made him worry and filled his muscles with a hateful drive, his right hand managing to hold hers to steady her nerves.

While the students lingered on the state of the battle, Endeavor took to the skies. "Kido!" Calling out to his sidekick, he propelled himself close to the ground where the mummified man awaited among the ruins.

"Need a lift? I got one ready, now go!" Kido swiped his hands in a circular motion, catching the scorching rift of Endeavor's flames to immediately alter his trajectory without losing momentum. Kovik didn't erect a barrier, instead, various colors split through his forearms like a vibrant toxin.

"Kovik can't use Shigaraki's quirk!" Ryukyu declared, having experienced the faint whiff of death from her claw nearly being eroded.

Down below, Eraser's gaze was uncomfortably dry but he held his gaze on the towering Splicer. "It would have been best to look at him after hiding, but... what if he touched the ground again in the meantime?" A shot of panic swept over him, feeling his vision tunnel. "Wait, I'm slipping-!"

A refreshing sensation gentle cupped the edges of his eyelids, soothing that irritation. Breathing a sigh of relief, Eraser gave his thanks, "Thank you, Manuel."

The hero smiled graciously, "Applying too much would flood your eyes, so you'd blink anyway, so we have to keep in sync!" He steadily maintained small pockets of water around the underground hero's eyes as the battle erupted above.

"You've killed too many already," Crossing his arms, Endeavor's flames compressed before expanding outward into thick ropes of plasma, melting through the edges of Kovik's armor as the Splicer evaded slightly, only for those same injuries to quickly begin to close up.

"Haha! Now that was terrifying," Kovik was genuinely joyful, whether that was Shigaraki's persona seeping in or his own remained a mystery. Red lightning swarmed instantly as a pocket of air force from Kovik's left arm flung him out of the danger zone, the metal and wires twisting back into place.

"That wasn't his quirk? His sheer strength alone can create air pressure that dense, just like All Might," Endeavor scowled, pursuing the villain head-on into his electric web.

"Shigaraki is still undergoing his own evolution, so I can't do much with All For One, but this...?" He brought his right arm around. "This will suffice, a new trick from a good ally - Static Cutting Cage!"

The red plasma spun and swept the air like razor blades, forcing Endeavor to punch through with a torrent of flames, bringing his fist down on another barrier of light that rebounded, throwing him backward. When the lightning cleared, a shadow swept down over Kovik's pyramid head. "Monster!" Ryukyu roared.

"Being called that by a dragon is rather insult-" Her tail spun around, cracking against his chest until he plummeted to the ground with tremendous force. The dust was sent flying, standing surrounded by another barrier, Kovik gazed up at the heroes, casting dozens of plasma balls skyward to intercept.

Thirty meters from the confrontation, Gran Torino skidded to a halt, tossing the students out of the way while the crackle and blast of various attacks shook the sky and trembled deep into the earth under a pale orange sky smothered in black clouds and ash. "Should be good here," Torino sighed.

"But Mr. Aizawa is still down there!" Izuku answered back since their teacher was clearly suffering from a leg injury.

"Yeah, he's sealing off Kovik's connection to Shigaraki, or whatever the heck's going on," Torino replied, using the risen debris as cover.

"We're still pretty dam close, gramps!" Katsuki noted.

"Oi, respect your elders!" The older hero yelled back. "And this is as far as we go, Bakugo. That thing's capable of moving quicker than any of us expected. There are only so many heroes who can give chase, and since our comms are jammed, luring him too far would actually give Kovik free rein,"

"You already got that thing away from people and into Eraser's sight, that's a job well done," The way Torino phrased it, it was as if he expected them to just pat themselves on the back and go home.

"You want us to stay out of this?" The bluette blinked, and her fingers, despite the tremble, curled up on the concrete. "Of all people out here, Siva's - no, Nara, is unlike any copy of my nanotech before, he'll kill them!" It wasn't just that. Everything she's done, was in preparation for this, to finally confront her biggest demon head-on.

"We can't just run and hide!" Izuku wasn't about to just call it quits either but his mentor shot him a serious look that put both teens on edge.

"Taking into account what's been heard, seems All For One has been transferred to Shigaraki, and that same power's somehow connected to Kovik," The old man turned his head the other way where Ryukyu was sent flying into a slanted building. "If he manages to steal One For All from you, well... what's worse than a worst-case scenario?"

His logic is sound | He tracked us down in an instant | And if he obtained Izuku Midoriya's power, then there would be no stopping him

"That really hurt, Number One," Endeavor's toothy snarl was hooked beneath Kovik's foot, the Splicer pressing down. "But I must admit, even I'm impressed with how effective Nara is, you could say this test drive couldn't be more exciting," Mockingly, he raised his right fist to the sky. "How did it go? You raised this arm, right?"

From the rubble, various screams and chatter were heard, to the heroes' horror, dozens of Devil Splicers emerged from the cracks, charging the heroes with cutlass and spear in hand. Despite the devastation, the Splicers had survived, aiming to completely overwhelm the heroes. "Escalation Judgement may have decimated a good sum of my Splicers, but this should keep you all entertained," Kovik answered their paralyzed expressions of fleeting hope.

"Get off me!" Endeavor's body burst into flames, forcing Kovik back as his Splicers rushed right by his tattered Devil cape. Like the Demon King and his thrall.

"Dang it, five of them are heading for Eraser! You three keep hidden!" And with a great burst of speed, Torino left them behind, shellshocked and grappling with too many thoughts and emotions at once.

"The Worst-Case..." Izuku's mouth was dry as he pawed at the ground, his fingers beginning to burn up. How many times had he sat by and watched as people suffered in his place? Where he held the power to do something more than stare at the backs of his heroes? How long was he going to just accept this!? "I have power, my own strength, so why am I hesitating!?... People are suffering and you're still doing nothing!"

Amongst the chaos, great red fissures erupted behind Kovik, and his body blurred past the heroes and Splicers toward Eraserhead with a radiant glare over his helmet. "Keep your eyes on me, Eraser, for no one will on you," He reached out, static manifesting at his fingertips, plucking at the air. Eraserhead didn't so much as flinch, but he did gasp when Rock Lock shoved him back to intercept. "Time for you to disappear, Eraserhead."

"No, I can't afford to die, if I die, no one will be able to hold him back," He reached around his waist for his knife, flimsy as it may be, he drew it with all his strength. "I still have to watch over them... until they graduate and become heroes!" He saw it all in flashes, all of his students pushing themselves beyond their limits time and again. Aizawa couldn't be prouder, which is why he had to keep living. "No, you're in the waaay!" He tried to call out over the chaos in time.

*WHAM!*

Piercing between Fallen and Human alike, three bodies surrounded Kovik and Eraserhead, two of which collided with the Splicer head-on, a multicolored flash causing the black metal around Kovik's pyramid helmet to break across the right side with an amethyst-charged knuckle. "Mr. Aizawa, this time, it's our turn!" Yuzuku's fangs were born at the enemy, eyes a vibrant turquoise.

"What!?" Eraserhead and Gran Torino gasped as Kovik was pushed back with a tremendous explosion of light from Yuzuku's fist, leaving a sonic boom behind.

"The 'Worst-Cast Scenario' is losing our teacher!" Yuzuku hollered loud enough for all to hear. There was no use holding back now. "The teacher who always looked out for us, who never gave up on either of us, his life's on the line! We'd risk everything for him!" Their words poured from their merged heart, and the pressure surrounding them seemingly exploded.

"I'm sorry Midoriya, but with your power, there is no way you can become a hero."

"Midoriya... Azuru..." Eraserhead couldn't believe his eyes and ears, but he could never have felt more relieved than at that moment. How wrong he had been back then, how he wished he never once uttered those words.

"One For All, Perfected, Seventy-Five Percent!" Like a rocket, their tremendous might soared, stripping apart the land under them.


"Woah!" On reflex, Kyoka threw her head back as her jacks left the dirt.

"What's up, Earphone Jack?" Sero asked after the musician plugged her right jack against the ground, adjusting the sound with her headphones.

"Bad news! Something big is coming this way!" She pointed toward the forest. "It's not from the manor, hell, it somehow got on top of us just this second!"

"Teleportation," Akio commented, drawing up two glyphs around each arm, layering his magic. "Everyone, get ready..." Even a few heroes on standby were made aware something was amiss.

All sounds of nature had stopped, only a few breaths and clothing rustled, but it was there, like a heartbeat. Thud, Thud, Thud... closer and closer the heavy footsteps closed in, branches snapped, and the grass was crushed.

"Objective reached, maintain coordinates, that is all," A deep, ancient voice spoke calmly as a great shadow pressed through the trees, their presence sapping away life from the bark and grass, turning them grey and black, leaves withering in the air. "Stand aside, and none shall, be harmed."

"Oh, not this guy again..." Akio slumped slightly.

"You know him, what the heck is he?" Honenuki's hands felt itchy just from the sheer size of the villain stepping through the decaying grove.

"A vigilante that put me and Viral six feet under, for so he thought, The Red Dragon," Akio briefly explained, stepping ahead of Kyoka. "Get ready for a real fight."

"Everyone spread out, and maintain a safe distance!" Yaoyorozu explained, waving her arm to throw her friends out of their funk. She wouldn't let her own fear and hesitation overrule her judgment, not at such a crucial moment. "We cannot allow him to flank the others still battling at the villa!"

"You got it/Count on us/We got your back/Let's take 'em down!" Many voices reverberated against such an intimidating foe, none were backing down.

"Do not interfere," Doryu warned, slamming the butt of his tower shield into the ground, halberd swung to point upright. "The Red Glare, is inevitable."

"No way you're moving another step!" Kirishima exclaimed, taking the vanguard alongside Akio and the other heavy-hitters of the Backup Team. Their friends were fighting every second, now it was their turn to pull their weight.

The red-armored behemoth brought his polearm to bear, the whitish-blue veins splitting through his arms and legs. "Very well, Heroes, I advance."

To Be Continued...


What a terrifying confrontation. NARA is on full display, the heroes are already pushed to the brink, and now the Backup Team is forced to battle against the indomitable Red Dragon. Battle galore next and it's time to change events say a few! I hope you enjoyed, I appreciate the support as always; seeya in the next chapter, Heroes!

Next Chapter Intermission: Advancing Perfection

"How the heck do we beat that guy, he's so gigantic!?" Sero exclaimed next to Akio whose face was drained of color. "Hey, you alright, man?"

"Uh, yeah, just reminiscing... hehe," He pulled at his coat with a sweat. "Huh, is this what PTSD feels like?" He soon passed out on his face.

"Oh, boy, seems we're not the only ones screwed, huh?" Yuzuku whistled nervously.

"Death abomination spawned from a heavy metal cover album or unstoppable ancient dragon," Kyoka seesawed her hands, then threw them down. "Y'know, I'll take my chances with the dragon."

"Goodie..." Yuzuku grimaced, scratching their head. "Coming soon, Advancing Perfection."

"Time to Go Beyond-" Sero declared.

"-Plus Ultra style," Kyoka clicked her fingers.