Chapter 61: The Sky Above Kamino
[30 Minutes Earlier - Behind the Broken Wall]
The air tasted like copper and old dust.
Izuku Midoriya pressed his back against the cold brick wall, his hand clamped over his mouth to stifle the sound of his own ragged breathing. Beside him, Momo Yaoyorozu was trembling so violently that Eijiro Kirishima had to place a steadying hand on her shoulder, though his own grip was white-knuckled with terror. Tenya Iida and Shoto Todoroki stood frozen, their eyes wide, peering through the cracks in the masonry.
They were witnessing the death of hope.
In the clearing beyond, the heroes who had led the raid—Mt. Lady, Gang Orca, Tiger—lay scattered like broken toys. And amidst the wreckage stood the No. 4 Hero, Best Jeanist.
He was conscious, but barely.
And standing over him was a man in a suit who felt less like a human and more like a void in the fabric of reality.
"I see..." All For One's voice drifted to them, smooth and terrifyingly calm. "You manipulated the fibers of your clothes to soften the blow. Impressive skill, Best Jeanist. But... it is not a quirk that suits Tomura. I will pass."
A blast of air pressure silenced the hero.
Midoriya felt a primal scream rising in his throat, but fear choked it down. Don't move, his instincts screamed. If he senses us, we are dead.
Then, the black sludge appeared.
It bubbled up from nothingness, coughing out the members of the League of Villains. Shigaraki, Dabi, Toga... they all appeared, looking disoriented.
"Master..." Shigaraki rasped.
"And," All For One gestured elegantly, "I have retrieved the guests."
Two more pools of sludge opened.
Out fell Katsuki Bakugo.
And beside him... Aokiji Kuzan.
The eyes of the hiding students widened to the point of pain.
"Kuzan?!" Todoroki whispered, the sound barely a breath.
"Why is he there?" Iida's glasses reflected the chaotic scene. "Was he captured? Or did he..."
The thought hung in the air, heavy and poisonous. Did he go willingly?
[24 Hours Earlier - U.A. Hospital Wing]
The tension in the waiting room was thicker than the bandages wrapped around the students.
"We have to go get him!" Kirishima slammed his fist into his palm. "Bakugo is out there! And Kuzan is missing too! The news says Kuzan vanished from the camp before the villains retreated!"
"Hold on, Kirishima," Tsuyu Asui said, her voice trembling but rational. "We should leave this to the Pros. And about Kuzan-chan... we don't know the circumstances."
"What don't we know?" Mineta squeaked, looking terrified. "He wasn't fighting with the others! He was seen talking to that mist guy! What if... what if the rumors about a traitor are real?"
"Take that back!" Midoriya snapped, standing up despite his broken arms. "Aokiji fought All Might to a standstill in the exam! He protected us at USJ! He isn't a traitor!"
"Then where is he, Midoriya?" Kaminari asked quietly, looking down. "Why did he disappear without a trace? If he was captured, wouldn't they use him as a hostage like Bakugo?"
"It doesn't matter!" Todoroki interrupted, his dual-colored eyes cold and focused. "Traitor, hostage, or double agent... he is our classmate. If he's in danger, we save him. If he's lost his way, we drag him back. That's what heroes do."
The room fell silent. The seed of doubt remained, but the resolve to act was stronger.
[Return to Behind the Wall - 10 Minutes Ago]
The hiding students watched in helpless horror as the battle unfolded.
They saw Aokiji unleash mountains of ice, only for All For One to walk through them as if they were mist. They saw Dabi's blue flames engulf their classmate. They smelled the burning flesh from where they hid.
"They're going to kill him..." Yaoyorozu sobbed quietly. "We have to do something!"
"Wait," Iida hissed, holding them back. "Look at Bakugo."
They watched Bakugo jump in front of Aokiji, taking the heat. They watched the two of them stand back-to-back against the entire League.
"He's not a traitor," Midoriya whispered, tears streaming down his face. "He's fighting for his life."
Then came the silence.
The Awakening.
Midoriya shivered. It wasn't just cold; it was a terrifying stillness that made his One For All buzz with warning. They watched Aokiji transform into a cold-blooded machine, kicking Shigaraki through a wall.
And finally... the arrival of All Might.
[Present Time - The Hostage and the Shield]
The dust from the "Detroit Smash" had settled, revealing a grim standoff.
All Might stood with his arms spread wide, a titan of protection. Behind him, Bakugo was barely standing, clutching his ribs. Aokiji was on his knees, shaking his head violently, trying to clear the fog that clouded his mind.
All For One hovered a few inches off the ground, his red energy field pulsing. He tilted his head, assessing the situation.
"You are strong, All Might," the villain said, his voice dripping with mockery. "But you have a fatal flaw. You insist on saving everyone."
All For One raised his hand. He didn't aim at All Might.
He aimed at the boys behind him.
"Air Cannon: Multi-Shot."
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Invisible shockwaves hammered toward the students.
"NO!"
All Might didn't dodge. He couldn't. He stepped into the line of fire, crossing his arms.
SMASH! CRACK!
The impacts tore through All Might's shirt and bruised his skin, forcing him to slide backward, his boots carving deep trenches in the concrete. Blood sprayed from his mouth.
"All Might!" Bakugo screamed. "Stop blocking! Dodge it, you old fool! You're going to get killed!"
"I... will not... move!" All Might grunted, steam rising from his body as he held his ground.
"See?" All For One laughed softly. "You are a punching bag, Symbol of Peace. As long as those broken birds are behind you, you cannot attack. You can only endure until you break."
Behind the hero, Aokiji tried to stand.
It felt like the world was spinning sideways.
Brain freeze.
The Awakening had forced his neurological system to operate at sub-zero temperatures. Now, as his body warmed up, the synapses were misfiring. His vision was doubled. His limbs felt like they weighed a ton. He tried to summon ice, but only a small puff of mist appeared.
Focus... Aokiji thought, stumbling. I need... to help...
"Stay down, Young Kuzan!" All Might roared, taking another blast to the chest.
[The Second Scene: Breaching the Sky]
Despair began to settle over the battlefield. The League was recovering. All For One was toying with them. There seemed to be no way out.
Then... a rumble.
It didn't come from the villains. It came from the side of the arena.
RUMBLE-CRASH!
A massive, colossal ramp of ice burst through the perimeter wall, soaring high into the air, creating a path that reached toward the sky above the battlefield.
All For One looked up. "Hmm?"
At the peak of the ramp, three figures launched themselves into the air.
Tenya Iida, his engines roaring blue flames, crying out "Recipro Burst!"
Izuku Midoriya, green lightning crackling around his body at 5% Full Cowl.
And Eijiro Kirishima, hardened like a rock, carried by the momentum.
They were a human rocket, soaring high above the reach of the villains, crossing the night sky like a shooting star.
They didn't look at the villains. They didn't look at All Might.
They looked only at their friends.
Kirishima extended his hand. He screamed with every ounce of air in his lungs, his voice cracking with emotion.
"COME!!!"
Time seemed to slow down.
Bakugo looked up. He saw Kirishima—the one person in class who had treated him as an equal, not a threat or a fragile object.
He looked at All Might, who was bleeding and trembling from taking hit after hit for them.
He looked at Aokiji, who was swaying on his feet, eyes unfocused.
Bakugo realized the truth. As long as we are here, All Might can't win. We are the chains holding him back.
"Damn it!" Bakugo gritted his teeth.
He grabbed the back of Aokiji's collar with his left hand.
"Hold on tight, you frozen idiot! We're flying!"
Bakugo ignited his right palm, aiming it at the ground to launch them.
But Aokiji's hand clamped onto Bakugo's wrist.
"No."
Aokiji's voice was weak, but clear. He stopped Bakugo's movement.
"What?!" Bakugo snarled, panic flashing in his eyes. "We have one second! Don't argue with me!"
Aokiji looked up at Kirishima, then at Bakugo. A sad, painful smile touched his lips.
"Go, Bakugo," Aokiji whispered. "I'm staying with All Might."
"Are you stupid?!" Bakugo roared. "I'm not leaving you alone, you moron!"
"You're not leaving me," Aokiji said. His eyes, though tired, regained a sharp focus for one instant. "I'm sending you."
Aokiji slammed his palm onto the concrete.
"Ice Geyser!"
BOOM!
A massive pillar of ice erupted violently from the ground directly beneath Bakugo's feet. It wasn't an attack; it was a launch pad.
"KUZAN, YOU BASTARD!!"
Bakugo was catapulted into the air against his will. The force of the geyser threw him upward, straight toward the trajectory of the flying students.
In the air, Bakugo flailed, reaching back toward the ground, his face twisted in fury and horror. But momentum was absolute.
SLAP.
His hand collided with Kirishima's outstretched hand.
Kirishima grabbed him tight.
"I got you!" Kirishima yelled.
The momentum carried them away. Bakugo was dragged through the air, screaming curses down at the shrinking figure of Aokiji, until they disappeared over the skyline of the city.
[The Last Stand]
The battlefield fell silent again.
The distraction was over. The rescue was successful... for one of them.
"Clever," All For One muttered. "They exploited the fact that I cannot fly freely while keeping All Might in check. A commendable escape."
The League of Villains—Shigaraki, Dabi, Toga—gathered behind their master, glaring at the remaining heroes.
And on the hero side...
All Might stood tall, his breathing heavy. Behind him, Aokiji Kuzan stumbled but managed to stand upright.
Aokiji placed his right hand over his left kidney, wincing in pain. His shirt was burned off on one side, revealing angry red blisters. His skin was pale, and blood trickled from his nose—a side effect of the cerebral strain. His hair had returned to black, but his eyes were dark, tired, and determined.
He stepped up, standing just behind All Might's right flank.
"Young Kuzan..." All Might said without looking back, his voice filled with regret. "You should have fled with them. Why did you stay?"
Aokiji smirked, a pained expression that showed his grit.
"This is the best way for it to end, isn't it?" Aokiji panted, summoning a small, sharp blade of ice in his hand. "If I left... you would have fought to the death to cover our retreat. I know you, All Might."
Aokiji looked at the Faceless Demon across the field. His gaze hardened.
"Besides... I have an old score to settle with that person."
All For One laughed, a low, ominous sound. "A score? With me?"
"You threatened them," Aokiji hissed, the temperature around him dropping slightly despite his exhaustion. "You threatened my sister. My mother. My father."
He took a combat stance, shaky but defiant.
"I won't rest... I won't stop fighting... until your threat is wiped off the face of this earth. "Even if I have to freeze the world itself to do it."
All Might looked at his student. He saw the resolve. He felt the spirit.
The Symbol of Peace smiled, a ferocious grin returning to his face.
"Very well, Kuzan! Then let us face this evil together!"
All Might raised his fists. Aokiji raised his ice.
Two heroes against the ultimate darkness.
.
.