Several portals loomed over the field ominously, their darkness swirling, never revealing what lay on the other side.
From his position up in the sky, Yuu could see them.
If he were in All For One's shoes, he would certainly tremble before that number.
But he couldn't help but feel a sense of relief.
It means his plan would work.
But before that, he needed to make several calls.
First was his teacher. " Aizawa-sensei, I presume you've gathered every available hero."
" More than I would have liked to. Even the wounded ones ended up joining us."
" That's fine. The more the better. No matter how much injured they are, I will help them move on."
Something about his tone unsettled the teacher.
" Where are you? I didn't see you near the coffin."
" I had to go around for a bit, gathering help." With Thunderbird's lightning-like speed, it wasn't hard to do so and catch up with the fight in good time.
Sora was still probably on her way.
" Help?"
" Sensei, in all honesty. Do you think that we have a chance against that demon, as we are now?"
There was a moment of silence, and Yuu could imagine Aizawa looking at everyone down there.
"... It will be hard."
" I can make it certain."
" How? You're not planning something dangerous!"
Yuu felt it, a certain gaze on him.
Aizawa was probably gazing up at the large bird circling the battlefield, ready to erase his Quirk if he didn't like the answer.
Luckily for him, Aizawa could not do that anymore.
" You don't have to worry about me. I'll be fine." And he ended the call.
" Are you okay with that? You're practically betraying his trust." Thunderbird told him.
" It's just a rational deception." He looked up from his phone and at the bird. " I'm sorry to drag you into this with me. If you want, you can leave. You've done more than enough."
" Don't joke around like that with me!" Thunderbird's tone was the sharpest Yuu had ever heard. He didn't address him like that since he decided to follow him. " Leave you, now! Don't be ridiculous! What kind of spirit do you take me for?!"
Yuu would have backed under his harsh glare any other day, but that wasn't it. " You made a contract with me because you owed me your life. You've paid your debt already."
It was years ago, the summer before his last year in middle school.
Thunderbird had been in a fight with another Yokai and lost. He retreated, taking refuge in the mountain forest behind their neighborhood, and waiting for his death as he slowly dissipated.
It was Kyubi who found him, defending him from stray Yokais who wanted to feast on the last of him.
And the one who shared his energy with him, who helped him to get better, was Yuu.
Thunderbird was so infuriated that he needed the help of a weakling like him.
But he had his pride.
He couldn't live with such an insult.
And so agreed to form a contract to pay him back when Yuu needed him the most. Not for some trifling matter.
He would never acknowledge him.
Ever.
He was wrong.
" I'm free to do whatever I want! Just because we formed a contract, don't you think you can order me around like you want! If I want to stay, I'm staying no matter what you say! You hear me!"
" Thunderbird..."
He looked down, his strong and certain voice cracking ever so slightly. " Back then... If I had stayed... If I, too, could have kept my physical body... If I had been stronger... Neither you, nor Kyubi would have been cornered..."
Yuu's eyes widened as droplets of water hit his face.
They were not rain.
Of course...
Yokais were not tools...
They were not familiars who followed orders blindly...
They were alive...
They had feelings...
Their own lives...
Their own friends...
Their own regret and grief...
Yuu leaned forward, gently running his hand over the plumage of Thunderbird's neck. " It was never your mistake. She wouldn't want to hear that."
" And she wouldn't forgive me if I allowed you to go on your own!" The bird retorted, and the boy offered a small smile.
" Perhaps not." He stood up, looking at All For One's enlarging form in the distance, trying to take the heroes down.
Midoriya just had his hands back via Rewind.
" Shall we do it then?" The ghosts of Seiryuu, Genbu, and Komainu manifested on his sides.
Yuu closed his eyes for a moment, breathed deeply, letting himself feel every whisp of energy, every presence of a spirit, however faint it was, before opening them up.
The purple eyes glowed in all the seven colors of the spectrum...
________________
Yuusuke watched as most of the heroes disappeared into the black portals, wondering at what was happening.
Now, with most of the injured having received their treatment, the staff gathered in the lobby where a live broadcast of the battle was going on.
Yuusuke could make the two classmates from earlier down there. But no matter where he looked, he didn't find his brother.
Just as he began to worry, Yuu's name flashed across his phone screen.
He quickly answered. " Where are you?"
" You're watching?"
" Of course! Everyone in Japan is!" His eyes still flicked across the TV screen for the boy.
Why wasn't he there?
A year ago, that statement would have made Yuu overjoyed. To think his family was watching him as well.
But this time around...
" You won't find me there."
" Huh? What are you talking about?"
The boy remained silent.
" Have you given up, then? Realized you're not made for heroism and ran away? That would really fit you." He was not being serious. But even that failed to provoke the response he waited for.
" Answer me, dammit! What are you planning to do-"
" Thank you, Nii-san."
Yuusuke's eyes widened slightly at that.
What was he talking about?
Why was he thanking him?
" Thanks to your advice, I can finally do what I want to do. To protect everything I held dear."
Something felt wrong.
Very wrong.
" Yuu-"
" Don't try to wake me up. Consider this statement my DNR."
" Wait! Don't shut the phone off on your older brother! You're still there! Tell me what you mean by DNR!"
His frantic shouts made everyone in there turn in his direction in confusion.
But the call had long since ended.
And he got his answer...
Though not via the phone...
A bright, beautiful light flooded the lobby, streaming from behind him.
So colorful it was that everyone couldn't help but stare in awe.
Only Yuusuke was filled with horror.
He turned back, the phone slipping from his hand and falling to the ground.
Outside the window, a bright star shone on the horizon as several threads of light weaved themselves through it and, branching out, spreading high into the sky like a huge tree made of a thousand colorful light ribbons.
It was so big that probably all of Japan could see it.
" This is beautiful..."
It was so divine.
And all the same horrifying to Yuusuke.
" Just... how much did you have to pay for this..."
________________
It wasn't just Yuusuke who had realized it.
The camera in the field focused on the strange phenomenon happening nearby, and Haruka held a hand to her mouth.
She couldn't see the energy flow as Yuusuke did. She only saw the light.
But she could tell already.
That it was not normal.
Everyone who was watching held their breath, admiring the beauty happening before them.
Only she had tears rolling down her cheeks as her hand clutched her husband's sleeve. " We thought that child's Quirk... Would always be feared. That he would never be accepted. We tried to hide it..."
Satoru was struggling to hold back his tears, too, as he kept his eyes on the small screen.
How could anyone...
Fear that light...