At last, we're here—back to square one. The most awaited moment. The incident mentioned in the beginning. Although, everyone knows what is going to happen now but a little surprise is waiting for you. Enjoy!

Chapter 33: Final Day or Night?

"Almost there," I murmur, trying to reignite some hope.

Deku, however, is completely out of it, head lolling against my shoulder. I want to believe that if he's unconscious, he's not feeling any pain, but that thought is a hollow comfort.

And that's when it goes wrong.

In my desperation to reach the safety of the huts, or perhaps because the darkness around me still feels swirling, I fail to notice a hole in the ground. I trip, and we both crash to the forest floor. I cry out in pain as my injured leg twists painfully in the hole. The sharp ache radiates through me, but I don't hear myself cry out. Instead, a horrifying sound pierces the air—Deku screaming bloody murder.

The sound jolts me forward. I scramble to crawl over to him, urgency fueling my movements despite the agony in my leg. I manage to get to his side, but I can't do anything to help him right now. His screams shatter the eerie silence of the forest, and soon they give way to a violent coughing fit. I can see blood trickling down his mouth, and my heart drops.

"Hey, Izuku!" I say, forcing calm into my voice despite the fear rising within me. "It's okay. It's going to be okay. We're almost there." I watch him struggle, each breath a battle. He opens his mouth, lips forming words, but all that escapes are wheezing breaths. His body tenses, back arching as he desperately clutches his chest, and I can't just sit here.

I lift him upright and let him lean against me, my hand finding his back, giving a few firm pats. "Breathe, damn it. Just breathe," I urge him, my voice rougher than intended, but it feels like my last lifeline. After what feels like an eternity, his breathing begins to stead, coughs begin to subside, and I dare to let out a breath of my own.

"Ka-Kacchan," he gasps, voice thin and frail, his eyes squeezed shut, brow furrowed in pain. I hate that I can't do anything, that I don't have a solution in my pocket or a heroic move ready to save us both.

"Kacchan, it's time. I... I want you to do... something for me." His eyes flutter open, glazed over and distant, before they slowly focus on me.

Fuck

My heart sinks. I can't do this. Not now. "Time for what?" I snap, but the way his eyes tighten with pain tells me he's not asking for something trivial. I already know what he's about to say. I dare him, even though I can't bear to hear it. "What do you want me to do?"

His breath rattles, and I can see the way every ounce of his strength is being drained from him, like a flickering flame fighting against the encroaching darkness. "I want you to tell All Might….something for me." he chokes out, his voice quivering.

"No! Whatever you want to tell him, you can tell him yourself the next time you see him." I'm shouting now, partly at him, but mostly at myself for not being able to do anything more than this. The thought of him slipping away from me ... I can't handle it. I just can't.

"Kacchan, please…" His voice trembles, each word struggling to break free. I see him toss his head slightly to his right, and his body writhes in pain, contorting in a way that makes my heart ache. "Tell him that I…love him. Tell him that I'm sorry for letting him down. Tell him I wanted to be just like him. Tell him…that I'm sorry for wasting his time and effort on me. That I am a useless shit after all."

His words are like daggers, cutting deeper than my own pain. A fresh wave of nausea rolls in as I watch tears pool in his eyes, spilling over and streaking down the dirt-smeared cheeks. His body shakes, the tremors more violent now as he gasps for air, his breathing growing more erratic. "I just wanted to be a hero..." he wheezes, each word punctuated by a sharp, painful intake of breath.

"Deku, stop it!" I snap, unable to let him wallow in this despair. "You're not useless. You're—"

"Tell him…that I'm very grateful for what he has done for me. And that I am sorry for ruining his hard work because of my clumsiness." He takes a shuddering breath that rattles painfully, and I can see how fragile he is, how close he is to breaking.

"I want you to tell my mom that I love her. That she is the most wonderful person in the world. Tell her that I'm sorry for being a bad son, for not being born with a quirk, for taking Dad away from her. Tell her that I'm grateful for her love."

He's openly sobbing now, and the sound chips away at my heart. Every shudder of his shoulders sends ripples of agony through me. I feel helpless, like I'm standing on the edge of a cliff, staring into an abyss where I can't haul him back from. I can't handle this. I can't.

"Izuku, please. No. Don't say that," I plead, my voice cracking. "You're going to make it through this. You're going to tell them yourself, okay? You have so many people who care about you. You're not alone. I'm right here." I can't let him see the fear, can't let him know how close he is to slipping away. Not when I'm right here, fighting alongside him, even if it feels like I'm losing.

But deep down, dread folds into the pit of my stomach. I can see the haze in his eyes, the pain etched on his face, and I know he's fighting an uphill battle alone. As he continues to shudder and shake under the weight of his words, the tears streaming down his dirt-streaked face reflect his pain back at me, creating an echo of my own fears.

"Ka—kacchan…" he stutters, his voice barely above a whisper and I can feel the panic rising again as I grasp his shoulders, desperate to pull him back from the edge. "I'm done."

Those two words pierce through the darkness like a knife, stealing the breath from my lungs. "Just leave me here. Proceed without me. You and I both knew for a long time that I won't make it."

"The fuck you say." My voice burst out of me, sharp and urgent. "You can't give up just like that. I forbid you to do that! You hear me?" I shout, my frustration boiling over as he continues to moan and sob. I shake his shoulders, trying to jolt him back into reality. I need him—he needs to fight through this tide of despair that looms around him, threatening to swallow him whole. "You have to keep fighting. You have so much ahead of you. There are so many people that need you! All Might needs you! I need you!"

His sobbing stutters and falters under the weight of my words. I don't need to check his temperature to know he's burning up; I can practically see the heat waves rising off him, a furious contrast to the cold terror gnawing at my heart. His breathing grows harsher with each passing second, controlled but strained. He blinks, struggling against the desire to fall asleep, and I can see the shadows creeping into his expression.

"You're getting to that village!" I continue, trying to inject urgency into my words. "We're going to find a doctor! You will make it, dammit!" My grip on him is fierce, my pulse racing with the twin engines of anger and fear. "I'm not losing you. You hear me?!"

A heavy silence hangs between us, thick with the weight of my desperation. I can't tell if my words are reaching him or if I'm merely grasping at straws. All I know is that I refuse to let this be the end.

"You think All Might would want to hear you say you're useless? He believes in you! I believe in you!" I shout, hoping that the very mention of our mentor can anchor him in his moment of doubt.

But instead, he falters, eyes dimming, and the fight dims like a flickering candle flame. "Ka-Kacchan! I am so..sorry. I d-don't want to…make you…slow down. But c-can I just…have some water, please? I am r-really…very thirsty."

"Damn it, Deku!" I mutter as I scramble to comply. I scan the ground, my eyes landing on the bottle of water lying a few feet away from my bag. I limp toward it, every step a testament to my own exhaustion, before grabbing it and returning back to his side.

I lift his head a bit, tilting the bottle to his lips. As he takes a sip, relief washes over me, but it's short-lived. He suddenly starts coughing harshly, his face contorting in pain. I feel my heart drop as he clutches his chest tightly, his whole body convulsing in on itself with each cough, as if he were desperately trying to hold his lungs in place.

"Deku!" I exclaim, rubbing his back frantically. That's all I can do right now—offer whatever comfort I can through mindless motions while his body betrays him.

He continues to cough, and my stomach churns with helplessness. With every sound, a wave of guilt washes over me. This is my fault. I should've helped him earlier; should've been there to keep him safe; shouldn't have let him get hurt in the first place; should've made the right decisions. Some hero I am.

"You're going to be alright," I say, my voice trembling but trying to inject hope into my voice. "Just breathe. I've got you. Just breathe."

Time seems to stretch out as he continues to cough, but finally, after what feels like an eternity, the spasm starts to subside. I can see how exhausting it is for him, his body trembling uncontrollably, his face pale. It's like watching the life slowly ebb away from him, and I can't bear it.

After a moment, he lies back against the ground, breathing heavily. In the midst of his heavy labored breaths, he suddenly grabs my hand as I lift his head to help him drink some more water. A few droplets spill, mixing with the crimson drops on the ground and pooling into a sorrowful reminder of our reality.

"Mom, please…don't leave me. It h-hurts, Mom. It hurts a LOT. P-please make it stop," he pleads, and I'm struck by a wave of confusion and indignation.

What the hell? I want to bark at him to stop calling me his mom. Does he think I'm as old as that old hag? Anger simmers just below the surface, but I know better than to let it out now. I can't say such things to him right now, especially when I know whose fault this is, why we're in this mess. Why he can't differentiate between reality and the feverish tricks his mind plays on him.

"I don't want to die alone" he whispers, his eyes squeezed shut tight. His words pierced my heart like a blade, constricting it in a vice-like grip, squeezing the breath from my chest.

"Shh. Izuku, come on. You're not going to die. Stop crying like a baby and breathe," I try to console him, though I can feel irritation bubbling at my failed attempts of comfort. Wait! When did Deku become Izuku? It doesn't matter; he's not listening.

"We need to complete this assignment, and you are slowing me down by not listening to me! I say stop crying this instant and breathe, damn it!" My frustration spills out in a sharp tone, but it's futile. His breaths come quicker, growing more frantic, and an unsettling feeling unfurls in my chest.

He's hyperventilating now, tugging at his hair as sobs wrack his tiny frame. "Kacchan!" he chokes out, shaking his head violently. "I can't! I can't breathe!" He kicks his legs, his body trembling uncontrollably with each anguished cry, and it's like watching a panic attack unfold—a horrifying spiral into chaos. His eyes roll back as he goes limp against the ground.

"No, no, no, Deku! You need to stay awake!" I shout, panic flooding my voice. "You know you have to, damn it!" I start shaking him gently, calling his name over and over. The weight of every moment, every second spent here, feels unbearable as I begin to slap his face lightly, desperate to elicit a response. Nothing.

"Deku" I grit my teeth, fear clawing at the edges of my resolve, my heart pounding in my chest like a war drum.

"Izuku"

"IZUKU"

He doesn't respond, lying limp beneath me, and the world narrows down to the sound of my own frenzied breathing. My panic bubbles over into sheer terror. "No!" I scream, my voice echoing in the empty space around us.

A sudden burst of instinct kicks in. "You can't leave me! You have to fight! You promised!" I can feel the knot of desperation tightening in my throat as I lean closer, pressing my palm to his cheek in a futile attempt to summon warmth back into his skin. "Please, Izuku! You're a hero! You can't give up!" my vision blurs due to the unwanted tears streaming down.

As I cradle Deku against my chest, the eerie silence of the night wraps around us like a heavy blanket. The world seems to hold its breath, the usual sounds of nocturnal creatures oddly absent, leaving behind an unsettling stillness that forces every heartbeat to echo in the quiet.

The moonlight filters through the trees, casting a silvery glow over us, and it feels almost surreal — as if time has slowed, trapping us in this moment of desperation. The hoot of an owl cuts through the dense silence, a haunting reminder of the world outside this desperate moment.

Suddenly, the tranquility breaks as I hear it — a thud. Another, louder now, followed by the rustling of leaves. What the hell is that? My heart races as the footsteps grow heavier, closer. It feels like something big is approaching, and every instinct in my body tells me to stand and brace for whatever it is, yet I can't move. I can't tear my focus away from Deku's uneven breaths — the way he skips breaths, the momentary gasps that sound painfully strained.

The sounds echo, louder now, and a primal instinct stirs in me, demanding action. But it's not the approaching danger that paralyzes me; it's the sight of Deku's blood covered face, his breaths shallow and sporadic. No matter what might emerge, I can deal with it. I can blast explosions and scare them away. Things I can control never scare me. But this — this isn't something I can control.

Then, out of the shadows, three massive shapes step into the dim moonlight, lumbering gracefully as if the forest itself was parting for them. My breath catches as I recognize them for what they are: elephants. Big, powerful beasts moving with an air of confidence that only adds to the surreal nature of the moment.

"Don't you dare think of coming here!" I shout, fueled by adrenaline and anger, directing my frustration outward. I fire off an explosion, the light illuminating the clearing, but they don't stop. They don't stop; they don't even flinch. My heart sinks as I realize my attempt to scare them away is useless. "Get away from him!" I yell, panic mixing with rage as I see two of the elephants, enormous in size, gently lifting Deku with their trunks.

"Hey, what the hell are you doing?" I shout, racing toward them, fists flying as I smack against their massive trunks, trying to claw him back. It's like fighting a stone wall. "Let him go!" I cry, desperation clawing at my throat as the elephants ignore my struggles, carefully placing him atop the smaller elephant's back.

In that moment of chaos, the smallest elephant turns its head toward me and gives a reassuring nudge with its trunk, as if encouraging me to jump on too. "What are you -" I start to say, confusion swirling in my mind, but then recognition dawns on me. "Are you the one we rescued from the pit two days ago?" I ask, hope creeping into my voice. The smaller elephant nods as if understanding me clearly, and tears suddenly sting the corners of my eyes, relief pouring through me like a cool stream washing over my burning skin.

"Please, we need to get him help as soon as we can!" I plead, desperation rising in my chest.

Again, the smaller elephant nods, and the other big elephant lifts me this time, placing me behind Deku on the back of the smaller one. I instantly recognize her, the mother of the smaller elephant. "Just hang in there, Deku," I mutter, more to myself than to him, gathering my strength.

Without a moment's hesitation, the elephants begin to move, charging forward and crashing through the underbrush, trumpeting loudly. The serene night bursts into chaos as the villagers awaken to the sound, confusion welling in the air. I grip tight to Deku's limp form, the rhythmic pounding of the elephants' footsteps echoing through the woods like a heartbeat, a promise to get us to safety.

I wanted to end this chapter on a cliffhanger, but I made it so emotional that I wanted to give you hope that everything is going to be fine.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter! Did it resonate with you?

Your feedback means a lot to me.