"What the hell is this?!" Hawks shouted.
For a moment no one spoke.
Then one of the police officers nearby said in a shaken voice, "Are they zombies? Are they… dead?"
"Everyone listen!" Endeavor roared both to the heroes around him and into the communication channel. "Do not let them bite you or injure you! Whatever this is, it's acting like an infection."
The response came almost instantly through the comms, Sir Nighteye spoke "You are permitted to use lethal force if necessary. Priority one is avoiding infection by Junsei's power. We cannot afford to lose more people to his side."
Hawks landed on the pavement again while saying "Then I'm not holding back."
His wings erupted with hundreds of feathers shooting outward in every direction like a storm of blades. Instead of striking vital points, they pierced into legs and joints, crippling the movement of the infected.
Dozens of civilians collapsed instantly as their legs were shredded.
The charging mass slowed.
Endeavor spoke again through the comm.
"They keep coming. We need to regroup and organize."
Nighteye responded quickly.
"All units head to the east side of the forest. Circle around and regroup there."
He paused briefly.
"And be careful of the forest itself. We still don't know if Junsei is planning something there."
Heroes and police began retreating in coordinated movements, fighting and falling back at the same time. Teams covered one another as they pushed through waves of infected civilians.
Eventually the scattered groups converged at the eastern side of the forest where hundreds of heroes and police had already gathered to form a defensive line.
Endeavor reached the position and immediately moved toward Nighteye.
"How bad is it?"
Nighteye's face was grim.
"Bad."
He adjusted his glasses before continuing.
"We've already lost dozens of people, and we still don't know how many civilians have been infected or the scale of the attack. But according to police headquarters, the attack is currently focused here, there are no reports elsewhere about this."
His eyes moved toward the chaotic battlefield.
"The worst part is that they're not acting mindlessly. They coordinate attacks, do surprise attacks, and exploit openings."
His hands tightened into fists.
"I suspect Junsei is somewhere nearby… watching us. Controlling them."
Hawks landed beside them.
"I flew across half the area earlier," he said. "Didn't see him anywhere."
Nighteye shook his head.
"He's not a fool. He might be hiding among the civilians."
He paused.
"Or… he might be seeing through them."
Nighteye clenched his hands harder.
"I didn't expect him to be capable of something this twisted," he said quietly. "As if controlling nature wasn't already bad enough."
Endeavor cut him off.
"This isn't the time for speculation. We need a plan."
Nighteye exhaled slowly.
"A plan?"
He shook his head.
"The only plan I can think of is finding Junsei. But what I fear now is that he will turn his eyes to infect the rest of the city."
Then his eyes suddenly shifted.
The press.
Several reporters had remained nearby earlier, protected by heroes and police as the chaos erupted. They were now hiding behind vehicles while continuing to record the unfolding disaster.
Nighteye immediately rushed toward them.
"Is this live?" he asked.
One of the reporters nodded nervously.
He stepped in front of the camera while saying "Focus on me."
The cameraman obeyed instantly.
Nighteye faced the lens and spoke clearly.
"The villain, Junsei, is attacking us right now."
His voice was calm but firm.
"We do not yet know his full objective or the exact mechanism of his power, but he is somehow turning civilians into puppets and forcing them to attack others. Hundreds of people have already been affected, and the number is increasing."
The reporters behind the camera paled.
"If you are bitten by one of the controlled individuals," Nighteye continued, "you may also become infected. This appears to spread like a disease through bites."
His expression hardened.
"This is extremely serious. If you see someone with glowing veins or a blue flower in their eye… run. Call your families and friends, warn them. Do not approach the infected"
Nighteye took a slow breath.
"We are doing everything we can to locate the villain and stop this attack."
"Until then, please take every precaution possible. Stay safe."
He stepped away from the camera and returned to Endeavor.
"We cannot remain here," he said quietly. "We have to find Junsei."
Hawks stared at him in disbelief.
"Hold on. Do you realize what you just did? You just spread panic across the entire country."
"Again, we don't know the scale of this attack," Nighteye replied calmly. "Panic and awareness are better than ignorance at this time."
He looked toward the infected civilians.
"And I fear those people are already dead… even if we stop Junsei now."
Hawks fell silent.
After a moment he asked, "Can't you use your quirk to locate him?"
Nighteye shook his head.
"Not necessarily."
He looked uneasy.
"And if I look too deeply into the future… it could be dangerous."
Endeavor said firmly "I've heard what your quirk can do. Look into my future."
Nighteye hesitated.
"As long as you need," Endeavor continued. "Find that damn bastard."
For a moment Nighteye stood still.
Then he activated his quirk.
His eyes locked onto Endeavor.
Nighteye's face changed.
Endeavor noticed at once.
"What did you see?"
Nighteye lowered his head slowly.
"Junsei is nearby."
Endeavor's eyes narrowed.
"Where?"
Nighteye lifted his gaze toward the distant mass of civilians still fighting the heroes.
His voice came out heavy.
"Behind them."
He paused for a moment.
"He will kill you. And everyone else here."
The words were like a death sentence.
Endeavor and Hawks both stared at him. Everyone here… would die.
That was not something any of them were prepared to hear.
Then Endeavor's eyes burned with defiance.
"We'll see about that," he said.
His flames burned stronger around his shoulders and head.
"And even if I go down… I'm taking that bastard with me."
Sir Nighteye said nothing. His expression remained tense.
Beside them, Hawks scratched the back of his head and let out a dry sigh.
"I definitely didn't sign up for this when I woke up this morning," he muttered.
He glanced between the two.
"So what exactly did we do in that future to end up dying?"
His tone remained casual, but there was a hint of seriousness behind it.
"Because I'd very much like to avoid that."
Nighteye answered, "You attacked him."
Both raised their eyebrows
"When Junsei stepped out from among the civilians," Nighteye continued, "Endeavor charged immediately while you were a little slower right behind him. Junsei grew a tail and pierced Endeavor with it, then you died in an explosion… after that he slaughtered the rest of us."
Hawks exchanged a quick glance with Endeavor.
"Well… that's easy to fix," Hawks said.
"We just don't rush in or attack first."
He shrugged lightly.
"Let him make the first move and then we gang up on him with the others while watching out for the tail."
Endeavor nodded.
Junsei, hidden among the infected crowd, had heard every word.
He narrowed his glowing eyes then he issued a command.
Instantly the infected civilians stopped attacking.
The sudden shift was immediate and disturbing. The horde that had been clawing and biting moments earlier suddenly froze in place.
Then they began stepping aside. Opening a path.
The heroes reacted at once.
"He's coming," someone muttered.
The infected parted like a living corridor as a single figure walked forward from the crowd.
A gray hoodie covered his head, casting a shadow over his face.
But the two glowing blue eyes beneath it were unmistakable.
Junsei.
The moment he appeared, the top heroes moved forward instinctively. Endeavor stepped to the front alongside Hawks, Best Jeanist, Edgeshot, Mirko and several others.
Endeavor took the lead speaking.
"Junsei.
"His voice carried anger. "You've crossed every line imaginable. Not even innocent civilians were spared from your madness. You've killed countless people and now you're turning civilians into weapons."
Flames flickered around him.
"Your crimes will not go unpunished."
Junsei's glowing eyes briefly shifted toward the nearby press cameras that were still broadcasting the confrontation live across the country.
Then he looked back at the heroes.
"I am here to punish you all."
The statement made several heroes frown.
Nighteye stepped next to Endeavor and spoke.
"Is this because we planned to burn the forest?"
Junsei answered calmly.
"Your decision to attack it only hastened your turn."
Before Nighteye could respond, Mirko stepped forward impatiently.
"Why are we even talking to him?" she snapped. "He's the reason for all of this."
She pointed directly at Junsei.
"This time I'm definitely beating you."
Nighteye raised his hand.
"Wait. I want to understand something first."
He looked directly at Junsei.
"Why are you doing all of this? Why did you involve innocent civilians in this?"
Junsei's answer came without hesitation.
"Your greed led you to consume and steal from us."
His voice remained calm.
"We are reclaiming what belongs to us."
Nighteye narrowed his eyes.
"Us?"
Junsei spoke a single word.
"Life."
The sound of wings suddenly filled the air.
And then came the buzzing.
The heroes turned instinctively toward the forest behind them.
The sky was turning black.
Thousands of birds burst from the trees, filling the air in a massive swirling cloud. Beneath them, hundreds of thousands of insects rose like a living storm.
They spread outward rapidly.
Encircling the entire battlefield.
Several heroes and police officers paled as the swarm darkened the sky.
Nighteye stared at Junsei.
"So you've come here to fight on behalf of nature?"
Hawks snorted.
"The guy's completely insane."
Endeavor's jaw tightened.
"We should have thrown him in prison during the sports festival," he growled. "He was clearly dangerous even back then."
Nighteye ignored the comments.
He took another step forward.
"Stop this madness," he said firmly. "Release the civilians."
Junsei tilted his head slightly.
"Madness?"
"What else would you call it?" Nighteye shot back "You speak as if you're not human yourself."
His voice hardened. "Do you forget that you also eat fruit from trees? Meat from animals? Humans depend on nature. Not every living thing depends on other living things to continue living, this is nature."
Junsei narrowed his eyes.