The battlefield had become a war zone on the edge of oblivion.
Every breath was thick with smoke and blood. Every moment could be the last.
I glanced over at Izuku—his eyes wild, a mix of fury and pain burning inside them. His fists glowed with unstable green energy as he fought back-to-back with Bakugo and Shoto, each bearing scars from relentless attacks.
Our eyes met briefly. For a heartbeat, the distance between brother and brother vanished beneath the roar of battle.
But then the war clawed back in.
From the shadows emerged new horrors—Nomu hybrids fused with fragments of fallen pro heroes. Twisted reflections of the very people who had once been beacons of hope.
One lunged at Izuku, snarling with a voice laced in malice.
"Midoriya... I'm your reckoning."
Izuku didn't hesitate—he slammed a blast of energy straight into the beast, but it only staggered for a moment before snarling, even more savage.
Beside me, Thorn's voice was steady but strained.
"Phantom, we've got three more waves inbound—each worse than the last. Reinforcements are failing to hold."
I clenched my jaw. "Then we don't fall. Not here. Not now."
Suddenly, a sharp scream cut through the chaos.
Mina.
I tore toward her, dodging slashes and energy blasts.
She was pinned down, acid searing her arm, eyes wide with desperation.
"Hold on!" I shouted, drawing my blade and cutting through the Nomu's arm.
She gasped, pain flickering in her face but determination blazing brighter.
"Thanks..." she whispered.
That moment—a fragile thread of hope—was shattered instantly.
A massive explosion erupted nearby, sending debris flying and knocking us both off our feet.
I landed hard, ears ringing.
When I looked up, the figure who'd revealed me—who'd torn open my carefully hidden world—stood there, smirking like a predator.
"Thought you could hide behind your shadows forever, Anos?" His voice was ice-coated poison.
I rose, muscles burning but spirit unbroken.
"This ends here," I growled.
Before he could reply, Izuku charged in, raw power exploding around him.
"Leave him alone!" Izuku's voice was fierce—unmistakably his.
For a split second, the enemy faltered.
But the figure's smile only grew wider.
"Oh, this just got interesting."
As the battle roared back to life, I realized something terrifying.
The war wasn't just about survival.
It was about exposing every hidden scar, every buried secret.
And forcing us all to face who we truly were... or become monsters ourselves.