At exactly 20:00, the moon hung low over the skyline of Hosu City, bathing the streets in a pale silver glow. High above the rooftops, Izuku hovered silently in the air, his cape fluttering behind him in the cool night breeze. The city below pulsed with faint life — neon signs flickering, car lights tracing ribbons of movement through the streets — but up here, all was quiet.
His sharp green eyes scanned every alley, every rooftop, waiting.
He had left Rumi back at home, where she'd fallen fast asleep halfway through a movie. She had insisted tonight would be their break.
"No training, no fighting, no trouble," she'd said — and within minutes, she was out cold on the couch. Izuku had smiled, covered her with a blanket, and slipped out the window without a sound.
Now, the stillness of the city pressed against him.
'I wonder when they'll come,' he thought, his gaze narrowing as he drifted above the rooftops. 'Lida's probably somewhere here already, lurking and waiting for Stain. But I'm not here for him. I just want to fight the Nomu.'
The air around him shimmered faintly with the energy radiating from his body. Clad in his black Superman suit, the fabric hugging his frame like liquid metal, every muscle looked carved from stone — his very presence exuding a quiet, godlike pressure that seemed to ripple through the air itself. Even the wind hesitated around him.
Minutes passed. Then half an hour.
'How long do I have to wait!' he thought, his patience wearing thin as his aura flickered, distorting the air like heat.
Then — suddenly — a shimmer of darkness rippled across the rooftop of a nearby building. A black, misty portal opened out of nowhere, twisting space itself as two figures stepped through.
One wore a ragged red scarf that trailed behind him like blood — Hero Killer Stain. His wild eyes glowed faintly in the moonlight. Beside him stood the disheveled, pale figure with cracked lips and a lazy stance — Shigaraki Tomura, his fingers twitching restlessly at his side.
Izuku's lips curled into a smirk. Finally.
He didn't waste another second. In a blur of motion, he shot downward like a meteor, stopping just above the rooftop — the shockwave of his landing scattering loose gravel. Dust swirled around him as he hovered at eye level with the two villains.
"What do we have here?" Izuku said, his tone calm but heavy with power. "Hero Killer Stain and chapped-lips guy from before. This is an unusual duo."
The night wind howled past, carrying the faint hum of tension as the three of them locked eyes — predator, predator, and the one who refused to be prey.
Stain smirked beneath his tattered scarf, his voice low and gravelly.
"Well, if it isn't the star of U.A.," he said, a twisted grin spreading across his scarred face. His eyes gleamed with a predatory sharpness, the kind of look that came from years of conviction and bloodshed. "The media's favorite prodigy… Tell me, boy—are you here to play hero tonight?"
Izuku didn't flinch. The faint hum of power rippled through the air around him, distorting the smoke rising from a nearby vent.
"I'm not here for you," he said flatly. "You're just a bonus."
Shigaraki scoffed, cracking his neck as he stepped forward, hands in his pockets.
"Tch. Bonus, huh? You talk like you're above us, kid. I remember you… U.A.'s little golden boy." His lips twitched with irritation. "Kurogiri said a lot about your potential. Guess I'll see what all the hype's about."
"Please," Izuku replied calmly, his eyes narrowing. "You couldn't even handle All Might on your best day. You think you're ready for me?"
Shigaraki's eye twitched at the mention of All Might. His fingers began to twitch violently, scraping against his palm as a faint, dusty aura of decay shimmered around his hand.
"Watch your mouth," he hissed.
Stain's chuckle cut through the growing tension. "He's right, though," the Hero Killer said, drawing one of his jagged blades and pointing it at Izuku. "You're no villain, Shigaraki. You're a leech who thrives on chaos. At least I stand for something."
Shigaraki turned to him sharply. "And you're a hypocrite who murders heroes to feel important."
"Better than sitting in a bar whining about society," Stain shot back, his voice edged with venom.
The tension between them flared like lightning, and Izuku floated slightly higher, his cape rippling behind him as he looked between the two. "You both talk too much," he said quietly.
Both villains turned their attention back to him, their combined killing intent filling the rooftop.
"Fine," Stain said, crouching low, the edge of his blade gleaming in the moonlight. "Let's see what kind of 'hero' you really are."
"Try not to die too fast," Shigaraki added with a cracked grin, flexing his hand as the concrete beneath his feet began to decay.
Izuku exhaled slowly, his eyes flashing emerald.
"Don't worry," he said, voice calm and unshaken. "I won't."
In the next instant, the rooftop exploded into motion.
Stain lunged first, vanishing in a blur of speed, his sword whistling through the air. Izuku blocked it with a single hand, the impact shattering the concrete beneath them. Sparks danced between their weapons — steel against sheer power.
At the same time, Shigaraki's hand grazed the ground, sending a wave of decay spreading outward like a virus. The air filled with the sharp scent of dust and rot.
Izuku simply floated above the destruction, his arms crossed, watching as Shigaraki's Decay tore through the floor beneath him. Cracks spread like spiderwebs, consuming the concrete until it completely gave way — sending both Shigaraki and Stain crashing to the level below.
"Wow," Izuku said dryly, tilting his head, "you really are a man-child."
Dust rose in a choking cloud around the two villains as Stain landed in a crouch, his sword gleaming faintly under the flickering fluorescent light. He grunted, irritation flashing in his eyes. "Tch… I have better things to do than deal with this childish nonsense!" he barked, glaring at Shigaraki before looking up at Izuku. "Follow me, kid! If you want to fight seriously!"
Without hesitation, Stain sprinted toward the shattered window and leaped through it, glass shards scattering like raindrops as he vanished into the night.
The moment he disappeared, a deep, warping hum filled the air. Behind Shigaraki, a black mist coalesced into a human shape — Kurogiri. His single yellow eye glowed dimly as three massive Nomu stepped through the portal, their growls echoing through the half-collapsed building.
Shigaraki's lips curled into a twisted grin. "Run rampant," he ordered, his voice dripping with excitement. "Hosu City will be leveled when I'm done with it. Leave this kid to me!"
With a wave of his hand, Kurogiri obeyed. The Nomu vanished through separate warps, their roars fading into the distance — one landing near the train station, another in the market district, and the third above the rooftops.
Izuku's expression hardened. The air around him rippled faintly, his aura tightening like a storm about to break.
"You really are his apprentice," he said quietly, his tone carrying a chill that made even Shigaraki's grin falter.
Before either villain could respond, Izuku shot upward, breaking the sound barrier with a thunderous boom. The shockwave tore through the crumbling structure, scattering debris and forcing Shigaraki to cover his face as his coat whipped violently in the wind.
Shigaraki lowered his hand slowly, watching the dark silhouette disappear into the clouds. His fingers twitched.
"How… how does he know?" he muttered, eyes narrowing behind his hand.
TO BE CONTINUED